Tungsten is widely used to make the filaments of electric bulbs. But, tungsten is not the only metal that conducts electricity well. There are other metals like gold and silver that are also good conductors of electricity. Then why is tungsten preferred?
Tungsten is not only a good conductor; it also has a very high melting point. In fact, tungsten has the highest melting point, and lowest vapour pressure of all metals. Because of this, the filaments made of tungsten glow more brightly and produce more light without melting, than if they were made of say, silver or copper.
The high melting point of tungsten makes it the ideal metal for making electrical heating coils, cathode ray tubes found in television sets, computer monitors, X-ray tubes and microwave ovens. It is also used to make switches for very high voltage lines.
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