Tungsten is a transition metal element denoted by the atomic symbol, W. It has an atomic number of 74 and the average atomic weight of its isotopes is 183.85. Tungsten's greatest assets are its high melting point 6,170 ± 68°F (3,410 ± 20°C), which is higher than that of any other metal, and its ability to retain its strength at very high temperatures. These properties make tungsten, which has been given atomic number 74, extremely useful in the manufacture and use of many alloys, which are mixtures of metals.

In nature, tungsten is mainly found in the minerals scheelite and wolframite. Scheelite, which was named after Carl Wilhelm Scheele, was originally called tung sten, which is Swedish for "heavy stone." In 1781 Scheele examined this mineral and found that a new acid could be produced from it. The acid Scheele had prepared was actually tungstic acid. In 1783 Spanish mineralogist Don Fausto d'Elhuyar (1755-1833) and...