Vanadium, niobium and tantalum, which are situated in group 5 of the periodic table, are silvery metals with good resistance to corrosion. This resistance is a consequence of the protective oxide layer that forms on each of their surfaces on exposure to air. At high temperatures, however, they can be induced to react with most of the non-metals.
They have very high melting and boiling points, both sets of figures rising as we descend the group. Tantalum has the highest boiling point - 5458 degrees Celsius - of all the elements.
