The concept of the “strongest element” is misleading because the term “strength” has different meanings in science, each pointing to a different element as the champion. A material that is resistant to scratching might melt easily, and a substance that can withstand extreme heat might be structurally weak. To accurately answer the question, it is necessary to consider different metrics of strength, specifically physical hardness, thermal resistance, and nuclear stability. Each of these criteria highlights an element that exhibits an unparalleled level of resilience in its particular domain.
Defining Strength in Scientific Terms
In materials science, strength is a complex property that is precisely defined by the type of stress a material can resist. This scientific perspective allows for a more detailed comparison of elemental properties.
One definition of strength is mechanical hardness, which is the resistance of a material to localized deformation, such as scratching or indentation. This property is directly linked to the element’s atomic structure and the nature of the bonds between its atoms. Another definition is thermal resistance, measured by an element’s melting point and boiling point, which indicates how much energy is required to break the bonds and transition the material from a solid to a liquid or gas. Finally, a completely different measure of strength exists at the atomic level, known as nuclear stability, which is the energy required to break apart the nucleus of an atom.
The Element with the Highest Physical Hardness
When most people think of a “strong” element, they refer to a material that is physically hard and resistant to damage, a title that belongs to carbon in its diamond allotrope. Hardness is measured by resistance to scratching and indentation, a quality diamond possesses due to its unique crystalline structure. It earns the maximum rating of 10 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness.
Diamond is an allotrope of carbon. Each carbon atom is covalently bonded to four others in a rigid, three-dimensional tetrahedral lattice structure. These covalent bonds are extremely strong and uniform, creating a material that resists separation or compression. Because of this network of strong bonds, diamond is used in industrial applications like cutting tools, where its ability to resist deformation under extreme pressure is necessary. Diamond is approximately four times harder than the next hardest natural mineral, corundum.
The Element with the Highest Thermal Resistance
If strength is defined by the ability to withstand extreme heat without changing state, the element tungsten (W) holds the record. Thermal resistance is quantified by the melting point, the temperature at which a solid transitions to a liquid. Tungsten possesses the highest melting point of any pure element, recorded at approximately 3,422 °C (6,192 °F).
This extreme thermal resilience results from tungsten’s metallic bonding and unique atomic structure. Its atoms form strong metallic bonds involving a large number of delocalized 5d electrons. This arrangement creates a body-centered cubic crystal structure with high cohesive energy, meaning a substantial amount of thermal energy is required to overcome the electrostatic attraction and break the bonds. This makes tungsten indispensable in applications that generate immense heat, such as filaments in incandescent light bulbs and specialized alloys used in aerospace and welding equipment.
The Element with the Greatest Nuclear Stability
The most fundamental measure of elemental strength lies in the stability of its atomic nucleus, a property where the element iron (Fe) reigns supreme. Nuclear stability is quantified by the nuclear binding energy per nucleon—the energy needed to completely disassemble an atomic nucleus into its protons and neutrons. The higher the binding energy per nucleon, the more stable the nucleus is.
Iron-56, a common isotope, sits at the peak of the nuclear binding energy curve, possessing one of the highest binding energies per nucleon at around 8.79 MeV. Converting Iron-56 into any other element, whether lighter or heavier, requires an input of energy rather than releasing it. This maximum stability explains why iron is the final element produced by fusion in the cores of massive stars before they collapse. Once the core converts to iron, fusion stops because no further energy can be extracted.