Tungsten (W) has the highest melting point of any metal; well over 3000 degrees Celsius!
It is hard, brittle, and very similar in appearance to Tin (Sn). Tungsten comes from the Swedish, tung sten, meaning heavy stone. It was formally known as wolfram, hence the mineral wolframite that contains tungsten. China is thought to hold 3/4 of the world’s tungsten deposits.
Because of tungsten’s high melting point it is perfect for use in light bulbs. It even works better than the carbonized bamboo that Edison initially used 🙂
Watch this amazing video to see how tungsten is pulled into a wire and then coiled to be used in incandescent bulbs. Incandescence means “glowing visible light.”
