Element charge lookup

What Is the Charge of Tantalum?

Tantalum commonly forms Ta5+ in introductory ionic compounds.

Quick answer: Tantalum usually has a common ionic charge of +5, written as Ta5+.
ElementTantalum
SymbolTa
Atomic number73
Common ionic charge+5
Common ionsTa5+

Why Tantalum has this charge

Tantalum is a transition metal. Transition metals can have multiple charges, so compound names and roman numerals matter.

This is a classroom reference range, not an exhaustive list of all oxidation states.

Tantalum charge examples

TaCl5

Tantalum chloride

Ta5+ balances chloride ions.

Ta2O3

Tantalum oxide

Tantalum can form oxides where total positive and negative charge balances.

FAQ

Is Tantalum charge the same as oxidation state?

Ionic charge is the charge on an actual ion. Oxidation state is a bookkeeping number used inside compounds. They can match, but they are not always the same thing.

How do I use this in formulas?

Combine positive and negative ions so the total charge is zero. You can also use the ionic compound calculator.

Sources and data notes

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