Tungsten (W)

Grayish-white metal, lustrous

Tungsten has the highest melting point of any metal at 3695 K, glowing white-hot in old light bulbs, and with [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d⁴ 6s², tungsten's strong metallic bonding gives it the highest tensile strength of any element. It was used as filaments in incandescent bulbs and is now used in cutting tools and armor-piercing projectiles.

Key metrics

Density19.25g/cm³

Melting point3,695K

Boiling point5,828K

Electronegativity2.36Pauling

Discovery

1783discovered

Discovered by: Fausto Elhuyar
Reactivity profile: Extremely high melting point
Reactivity: Low
Bonding: Metallic

Electron configuration

\textcolor{#6b7280}{[Xe]}\; \textcolor{#a855f7}{4_{f}^{14}}\; \textcolor{#22c55e}{5_{d}^{4}}\; \textcolor{#ef4444}{6_{s}^{2}}

[Xe] 4f14 5d4 6s2

Wave function

\Psi_{\text{W}} \approx \frac{1}{\sqrt{74!}} \det \left| \chi_1(\mathbf{r}_1) \dots \chi_{74}(\mathbf{r}_{74}) \right|

Probability density $|\Psi|^2$ across the W valence shell.

Crystal structure

Body-Centered Cubic

Lattice constantsa = 1.00

Cell anglesα = β = γ = 90°

Coordination number8

Atoms per cell2

Atomic packing factor0.68

Physical properties

Atomic radius: 139 pm
Ionization energy: 770 kJ/mol
Electron affinity: 79 kJ/mol
Crystal structure: Body-centered cubic (bcc)

Oxidation states

+4+6

Acid/base

Basic

Strongly acidicStrongly basic

State at 25 °CSolid

3695 K5828 K298 K

Emission spectrum

3 transitions

380450500550600650700780

VioletBlueGreenYellowRed

430.2nmW I (blue)Violet70%

500.7nmW I (green)Cyan100%

551.4nmW I (green)Green50%

Dominant line 500.7 nmRange 430–551 nmTransitions 3