Origin / Meaning of the name Tungsten
Tungsten originates from the Swedish words 'tung sten' meaning heavy stone. It was formerly called Wolfram hence the symbol of the element - 'W'. From the name meaning "wolf soot" was the name given to tungsten Ancient alchemists called the metal "spuma lupi," the Latin words for 'wolf foam' which translated to the word "wolframite" in allusion to the objectionable scum or substance formed during the smelting of tin ores containing tungsten.
Periodic Table Group and Classification of the of the Tungsten Element
Elements can be classified based on their physical states (States of Matter) e.g. gas, solid or liquid. This element is a solid. Tungsten is classified as a "Transition Metal" which are located in Groups 3 - 12 of the Periodic Table. Elements classified as Transition Metals are generally described as ductile, malleable, and able to conduct electricity and heat. Nearly 75% of all the elements in the Periodic Table are classified as metals which are detailed in the List of Metals.
Facts about the History and the discovery of the Tungsten Element
Tungsten was discovered by the Spanish brothers Fausto and Juan Jose de Elhuyar in 1783
Occurrence of the Tungsten Element
Obtained from scheelite, wolframite
Abundances of the element in different environments
% in Universe 5×10-8%
% in Sun 4×10-7%
% in Meteorites 0.000012%
% in Earth's Crust 0.00011%
% in Oceans 1.2×10-8%
% in Humans N/A
Associated Uses of Tungsten
Space-age super-alloys
Light bulb filaments - fluorescent lighting
Cemented carbides (also called hardmetals)
Armaments
Jewelry - Tungsten Carbide
