Tungsten

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/tungsten

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the element symbol?W
2. What is the atomic number?74
3. What makes tungsten so strong and hot?Tungsten atoms are bonded to six others, creating a very tight structure that gives it a very high melting point of 3,422 °C, the highest of any pure metal. This strong bonding also makes tungsten hard and strong.
4. Why is tungsten used in light bulbs?Tungsten can reach about 2,500 °C without melting or evaporating, so a thin tungsten filament glows brightly when electric current passes through it. The filament is often coiled to increase its surface area and light output.

Refractory Metal: A metal with a very high melting point, typically above 2,000 °C (3,632 °F).
Tungsten Carbide: An extremely hard ceramic compound of tungsten and carbon, widely used in cutting tools.
Powder Metallurgy: A metal-forming process where metal powders are compacted and then heated to form a solid object.