You can't tell an element's boiling point; you have to measure it. There is no simple way to tell the boiling point of an element just by looking at it or holding it. The boiling point of an element is the temperature at which it turns from a liquid to a gas, and this temperature varies greatly from element to element. For example, the boiling point of helium is -429.7°F, while the boiling point of tungsten is 5,550°F. So, the only way to know an element's boiling point is to measure it.