Tantalum is a chemical element with symbol Ta and atomic number 73. Previously known as tantalium, its name comes from Tantalus, an antihero from Greek mythology. Tantalum is a rare, hard, blue-gray, lustrous transition metal that is highly corrosion-resistant.
Three reasons Tantalum stands out
1
Used in capacitors and corrosion-resistant chemical equipment.
2
Almost every smartphone and laptop in the world contains a small capacitor made from this metal.
3
It is completely inert to bodily fluids, making it ideal for use in surgical implants and bone repair plates.
A capacitor metal that ignores body fluids
Tantalum forms an exceptionally stable oxide layer, allowing tiny capacitors to store charge reliably in phones and computers. Its resistance to corrosion also suits chemical equipment and implants. The element’s supply chain is scrutinized because some ores have financed conflict in Central Africa.
Recognizing Tantalum in Elementle
If Tantalum is the mystery element, guesses below atomic number 73 point up and guesses above it point down. Its symbol is Ta: a green letter matches the same position in that symbol, while a yellow letter belongs in another position.
The family clue turns green for transition metal guesses. Compare Hafnium (Hf), number 72 and Tungsten (W), number 74: they share the family clue, but their atomic numbers and symbols help you tell them apart.
Values are reference data, not a specification for every temperature, pressure, or allotrope. Unknown properties are left unavailable. Superheavy-element predictions remain uncertain.
The introduction and original editorial story are adapted from Wikipedia contributors via Periodic-Table-JSON. Element descriptions and their adaptations are available under CC BY-SA 3.0. Numerical attributes use the PubChem periodic-table dataset, retrieved September 22, 2026.