Transition Metals
The metals in Group 3 through 13 of the periodic table are called the transition metals. They belong to the d-block of the Periodic table.
Properties of transition metals:
Most of the transition metals are shiny, silvery, lustrous, ductile, and malleable.
Transition metals have the high thermal and electrical conductivity.
Transition metals are more stable when compared to other metals. Hence they are more often found pure in nature.
Transition metals have high melting, high boiling points than metals in Groups 1 and 2.
Most of the transition metals are harder and more brittle than metals in Groups 1 and 2.
They form compounds whose color is due to d – d electronic transitions.
They form compounds in many oxidation states, due to the relatively low reactivity of unpaired d electrons.
They form paramagnetic compounds due to the presence of unpaired d electrons. A few compounds of main group elements are also paramagnetic (e.g. nitric oxide, oxygen).
Transition metals react with halogens to form halides.
For example:.
- copper + chlorine copper chloride
- Cu (s) + Cl2 (g) CuCl2 (s)
Transition metals react with oxygen to form oxides.
For example:.
- copper + oxygen copper oxide
- 2Cu (s) + O2 (g) 2CuO (s)
The lanthanides and the actinides at the bottom of the table are sometimes known as the inner transition metals because they have atomic numbers that fall between the first and second elements in the last two rows of the transition metals.
Lanthanide and actinide series belong to the f-block.