#74 / 118
74W183.84
Transition Metalssolid at STPD-block

Tungsten

Group: 6•Period: 6•Standard Atomic Weight: 183.84 u
Open Full Periodic TableView Bohr Model

Why is Tungsten in this position?

Understanding the scientific rationale behind Tungsten's position in the periodic table:

Group Assignment
Group 6

Belongs to Group 6 because it has 6 valence electrons (5d⁴ 6s²).

Period Assignment
Period 6

Belongs to Period 6 because its outermost electrons occupy n=6.

Orbital Block
D-block

Belongs to the d-block because its differentiating electrons occupy the 5d subshell.

Chemical Category
Transition Metals

Classified as a transition metal with the highest melting point and tensile strength among metals.

Atomic Structure & Bohr Shell Model

Shell Distribution: [2, 8, 18, 32, 12, 2]

Bohr Atomic Shell Model(2, 8, 18, 32, 12, 2)

Hover or tap any shell orbit ring to inspect electron counts and 2n² capacities.

74 Protons (p⁺)110 Neutrons (n⁰)
KShell K: Electron 1 of 2Shell K: Electron 2 of 2LShell L: Electron 1 of 8Shell L: Electron 2 of 8Shell L: Electron 3 of 8Shell L: Electron 4 of 8Shell L: Electron 5 of 8Shell L: Electron 6 of 8Shell L: Electron 7 of 8Shell L: Electron 8 of 8MShell M: Electron 1 of 18Shell M: Electron 2 of 18Shell M: Electron 3 of 18Shell M: Electron 4 of 18Shell M: Electron 5 of 18Shell M: Electron 6 of 18Shell M: Electron 7 of 18Shell M: Electron 8 of 18Shell M: Electron 9 of 18Shell M: Electron 10 of 18Shell M: Electron 11 of 18Shell M: Electron 12 of 18Shell M: Electron 13 of 18Shell M: Electron 14 of 18Shell M: Electron 15 of 18Shell M: Electron 16 of 18Shell M: Electron 17 of 18Shell M: Electron 18 of 18NShell N: Electron 1 of 32Shell N: Electron 2 of 32Shell N: Electron 3 of 32Shell N: Electron 4 of 32Shell N: Electron 5 of 32Shell N: Electron 6 of 32Shell N: Electron 7 of 32Shell N: Electron 8 of 32Shell N: Electron 9 of 32Shell N: Electron 10 of 32Shell N: Electron 11 of 32Shell N: Electron 12 of 32Shell N: Electron 13 of 32Shell N: Electron 14 of 32Shell N: Electron 15 of 32Shell N: Electron 16 of 32Shell N: Electron 17 of 32Shell N: Electron 18 of 32Shell N: Electron 19 of 32Shell N: Electron 20 of 32Shell N: Electron 21 of 32Shell N: Electron 22 of 32Shell N: Electron 23 of 32Shell N: Electron 24 of 32Shell N: Electron 25 of 32Shell N: Electron 26 of 32Shell N: Electron 27 of 32Shell N: Electron 28 of 32Shell N: Electron 29 of 32Shell N: Electron 30 of 32Shell N: Electron 31 of 32Shell N: Electron 32 of 32OShell O: Electron 1 of 12Shell O: Electron 2 of 12Shell O: Electron 3 of 12Shell O: Electron 4 of 12Shell O: Electron 5 of 12Shell O: Electron 6 of 12Shell O: Electron 7 of 12Shell O: Electron 8 of 12Shell O: Electron 9 of 12Shell O: Electron 10 of 12Shell O: Electron 11 of 12Shell O: Electron 12 of 12PShell P: Electron 1 of 2Shell P: Electron 2 of 2WZ = 74

Educational Note: This Niels Bohr planetary model visually illustrates principal quantum energy shells ($n=1, 2, 3\dots$) and electron counts. In modern quantum mechanics (Schrödinger model), electrons do not orbit in fixed circular planetary tracks, but exist as 3D probability clouds (orbitals: $s, p, d, f$) governed by the Heisenberg uncertainty principle.

Electron Shell Filling Breakdown

Shell K (n=1):2 / 2 electrons (100%)
Shell L (n=2):8 / 8 electrons (100%)
Shell M (n=3):18 / 18 electrons (100%)
Shell N (n=4):32 / 32 electrons (100%)
Shell O (n=5):12 / 50 electrons (24%)
Shell P (n=6):2 / 72 electrons (3%)
Aufbau Electron Configuration
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 4f¹⁴ 5s² 5p⁶ 5d⁴ 6s²

Neutral ground state configuration. Valence electrons: 6.

Atomic & Quantum Properties

Electronegativity (Pauling)2.36 Pauling
1st Ionization Energy770 kJ/mol
Electron Affinity-78.6 kJ/mol
Atomic Radius (empirical)193 pm
Common Oxidation States+6, +4
Crystal StructureBCC

Physical & Thermal Properties

Density at STP19.25 g/cm³
Melting Point3422 °C (3695 K)
Boiling Point5555 °C (5828 K)
Magnetic OrderingParamagnetic
Discovery Year1783
Discovered ByJuan José & Fausto Elhuyar

Real-World Uses, Occurrence & Compounds

Major Industrial & Everyday Uses
  • Tungsten carbide (WC) super-hard cutting tools, mining drill bits, and abrasive saw blades
  • Traditional incandescent and halogen light bulb filaments
  • Kinetic energy penetrator armor-piercing anti-tank rounds
  • Divertor armor tiles in nuclear fusion reactors (ITER tokamak)
Occurrence in Nature

Mined from wolframite ((Fe,Mn)WO₄) and scheelite (CaWO₄) mineral ores, with over 80% produced in China.

Etymology & Name Origin

From Swedish 'tung sten' meaning heavy stone; symbol W from German 'Wolfram'

Important Chemical Compounds
WC (Tungsten carbide)
WO₃ (Tungsten trioxide)
WF₆ (Tungsten hexafluoride)
Interesting Chemical Facts
  • • Tungsten has the highest melting point of any metal (3,422 °C), glowing brilliantly white without melting in light bulbs.
  • • Tungsten has almost the exact same density as pure gold (19.25 g/cm³ vs 19.30 g/cm³), making it infamous for counterfeit gold bars.
  • • The 'Rods from God' kinetic bombardment concept envisions dropping telephone-pole-sized tungsten rods from orbit at Mach 10.
Safety & Handling Note

Tungsten metal is chemically inert and non-toxic; fine powder is flammable and causes respiratory irritation.

Explore Neighborhood Elements

Same Group (Group 6):
#24Cr#42Mo#106Sg
Same Period (Period 6):
#55Cs#56Ba#57La#58Ce#59Pr#60Nd#61Pm#62Sm#63Eu#64Gd#65Tb#66Dy#67Ho#68Er#69Tm#70Yb#71Lu#72Hf#73Ta#75Re#76Os#77Ir#78Pt#79Au#80Hg#81Tl#82Pb#83Bi#84Po#85At#86Rn