Tungsten is used in the filament of traditional incandescent light bulbs.
Tungsten has the chemical symbol W and atomic number 74. It is chosen for bulb filaments because it has the highest melting point of any element, about 3,422°C, and can glow intensely without melting immediately. The filament is heated by an electric current until it emits visible light.
Incandescent bulbs usually place the filament inside a vacuum or inert-gas atmosphere. This reduces oxidation and slows the loss of tungsten atoms. Over time, evaporation can thin the filament, eventually causing it to break.
Tungsten is also important in hard materials, electrical contacts, heating elements, and specialized alloys. Its symbol W comes from wolfram, an older name connected with the mineral wolframite.