WD Elements formatted for mac then stopped working while backing up

I formatted a brand new wd elements 3tb for mac then went to back it up using time machine for the first time and it stopped being recognized and now is not showing up in finder or in disk utility.

how do i fix this?!!!

ive done some research and it could be an issue with mavericks and time machine. i tried to make the back up smaller and it lasted longer this time but still eventually disconnects… any ideas???

Check if the drive appears on the Desktop or Disc Utility.

If the drive has a power connector, make sure is connected to the wall directly and not a surge protector.