Comparison of Tantalum and Tungsten

Attribute	Tungsten ×	Tantalum ×
Atomic mass (u)	183.84	180.9479
Standard state	Solid	Solid
Oxidation states	+6	+5
Electron configuration	[Xe]6s²4f¹⁴5d⁴	[Xe]6s²4f¹⁴5d³
Atomic radius (van der waals) (pm)	210	217
Electronegativity (pauling scale)	2.36	1.5
Electron affinity (eV)	0.815	0.322
Ionization energy (eV)	7.98	7.89
Boiling point (K)	5828	5731
Melting point (K)	3695	3290
Density (g/cm³)	19.3	16.4
Atomic number	74	73
Group name	Transition metal	Transition metal
Discovered (year)	1783	1802
Symbol	W	Ta