Tantalum, symbol Ta, is a very white, ductile, and malleable metallic element. Tantalum is one of the transition elements of the periodic table. The atomic number of Tantalum is 73. It was first discovered in 1802 by Anders Ekebura of Sweden and then first obtained in pure form in 1820 by the Swedish chemist Baron Jons Jakob Berzelius. Tantalum is soluble in fused alkalies, insoluble in sulfuric, hydrochloric, and nitric acids, and soluble in hydrofluoric acid. It ignites …showed first 75 words of 345 total…

…showed last 75 words of 345 total…in low-voltage circuits, such as railway-signaling systems. It is also used for aircraft and missile parts. Due to its resistance to be attacked by acids of the human body and its compatibility with body tissue, it is used to pin together broken bones. Tantalum is also used in surgical and dental instruments. The oxide is an ingredient in special optical glass for aerial camera lenses because it increases the refracting (light bending) power of glass.