Transition elements

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In an advanced level course you only have to study the first-row d-block elements from scandium to zinc. You will discover that chemists make subtle distinctions so they typically exclude scandium and zinc and only regard the other eight elements as transition elements.
 
Transition elements are characterised by:

their electron configurations,

their physical properties,

their variable oxidation states,

the colour of many of their compounds,

the tendency for the metal ions to form complexes,

the catalytic activity of the metals and their compounds.

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Webguides

• A guide to transition metal chemistry
• Chemistry of complex ions
• Catalysis and transition metals

Recently Asked Questions

• Q.1 Why is it that when copper wire and concentrated is added to nitrate ions, a blue solution results. Is this the equation: Cu(s) + 4HNO3(aq) ——> Cu(NO3)2(aq) + 2NO2(g) + 2H2O(l)? Q.2 When cu wire and concentrated sulphuric acid are to nitrate ions, why does a blue solution is produced and nitrogen dioxide is produced as well? This is what i think, the hydrogen ions of the acid reacted with the nitrate ions present, forming concentrated nitric acid. The nitric acid produced then oxidised the copper to copper ions while the nitric acid was then reduced to nitogen dioxide. I believe this is the equation for what happened : cu + 4hno3 = cu(no3)2 + no2 + h20. Is that a fair answer?
• I want to design an experiment to identify the percentage of copper in a given copper compound using a titration method. How do I do this? 270110
• 'The d-block elements are less reactive than the s-block elements because 'inner' d orbitals are being filled while the 'outer' s subshell is full.' I know that the 4s orbital has a lower energy than the 3d orbitals. So doesn't that mean the 4s orbital is 'closer' to the nucleus than the 3d orbitals? The above information is confusing me. Please help. 181209

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Tests

• Transition elements (A2)

updated: 14 September 2003