The melting point of tungsten is 3422 degrees Celsius. This exceptionally high temperature makes tungsten the highest-melting pure metal and one of the most heat-resistant elements known.
Tungsten’s remarkable thermal stability comes from very strong bonding between its atoms, involving its 5d electrons. It is also extremely dense, with a density of about 19.25 grams per cubic centimetre, and has a very high boiling point. These properties make it useful where materials must withstand intense heat, such as furnace components, rocket-engine parts, electrical contacts, and specialized tools.
A common mix-up is confusing tungsten’s melting point with those of other familiar metals. Iron melts at about 1538 °C, copper at about 1085 °C, and aluminium at about 660 °C—the three values listed as distractors. Another subtle point is carbon: it can remain solid at higher temperatures under atmospheric conditions, but it sublimes rather than melting normally, so it is not assigned an ordinary melting point in that situation.
Tungsten is symbol W and atomic number 74. It was identified as an element in 1781 and first isolated as a metal in 1783.