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tantalum
Definition
Tantalum is a chemical element with the symbol Ta and atomic number 73. It is a hard, silvery-grey metal that is resistant to corrosion.
Tantalum is found in nature as a free element or in compounds with other elements, such as tantalite. It is mined in Australia, Canada, and Russia.
Tantalum is used in a variety of applications, including:
- Capacitors
- Medical implants
- High-temperature alloys
- Nuclear reactors
How can the word be used?
Tantalum is used in capacitors, medical implants, and jewellery.
Different forms of the word
Noun:
a chemical element with the symbol Ta and atomic number 73. It is a hard, gray-white, ductile, and highly corrosion-resistant metal.
Adjective:
relating to or containing tantalum.
Etymology
The word "tantalum" comes from the name of Tantalus, a figure in Greek mythology. In the story, he was punished after death by being condemned to stand knee-deep in water with perfect fruit growing above his head, both of which eternally tantalized him. (If he bent to drink the water, it drained below the level he could reach, and if he reached for the fruit, the branches moved out of his grasp.).
The Swedish chemist Anders Gustaf Ekeberg named the element "tantalum" in 1802, partly in allusion to its incapacity, when immersed in acid, to absorb any and be saturated.
The first recorded use of the word "tantalum" in English was in 1803.
The word "tantalum" is a New Latin word, which means that it was created by scientists. It is derived from the name of Tantalus.
Question
Who named the element tantalum?