Tantalum commonly forms Ta5+ in introductory ionic compounds.
| Element | Tantalum |
|---|---|
| Symbol | Ta |
| Atomic number | 73 |
| Common ionic charge | +5 |
| Common ions | Ta5+ |
Images are used as visual references; charge rules still depend on the compound.
Tantalum is [Xe]4f14 5d3 6s2; committing all five outer electrons gives Ta5+, and the resulting oxide film is so adherent, thin, and self-healing that the metal underneath becomes practically immortal — aqua regia cannot touch it below 150 °C.
This is a classroom reference range, not an exhaustive list of all oxidation states.
Thinking 'tantalum is inert' means it has no charge chemistry. The inertness IS charge chemistry: the instant Ta5+ oxide skin is what seals the metal. Bare tantalum is quite reactive; you simply never meet it bare.
A porous slug of neutral Ta metal is anodized: surface atoms become Ta5+ in a nanometers-thin Ta2O5 layer — the insulator. Metal on one side, electrolyte on the other, and the +5 oxide's high dielectric constant packs farads into millimeters.
Tantalum chloride
Ta5+ balances chloride ions.
Tantalum oxide
Tantalum can form oxides where total positive and negative charge balances.
The sealed Ta2O5 surface releases essentially no ions, so tissue treats it as ceramic scenery. Corrosion-proof +5 skin outside, tough metal inside — surgeons have used it since the 1940s.
Columbite-tantalite ore carries Ta5+ and Nb5+ intergrown — same charge, near-same radius, the familiar separation nightmare. Its mining economics made tantalum a 'conflict mineral' watchword.
Both default to +5, but tantalum holds the state more rigidly — niobium dabbles in +3 far more readily. Descending a d-block group stabilizes the group-maximum charge; Nb→Ta is the textbook example.
Combine positive and negative ions so the total charge is zero — or let the ionic compound calculator do the crossing for you. The full chart lives on the periodic table with charges.
Charges and element facts on this page are checked against the primary references below. Found an error? Email hello@periodictablewithcharges.com — corrections ship in the next content update. See how this site is edited.