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The Transition Metals

The transition metals have a set of properties which are characteristic of them.

Partially filled d sub-shell

Partially filled d sub-shell

  • The transition metals are not just the metals in the d-block. The final triad of the d-block (Zn, Cd, Hg) are not usually thought of as transition metals.
    • This is because they have a full d sub-shell.
    • The transition metals share their properties, and these properties come about because of a partially filled d sub-shell.
Metallic properties

Metallic properties

  • The transition metals are metals. This means they have the usual metal properties:
    • Hard.
    • Sonorous (ring when hit).
    • Shiny.
    • Good electrical conductors.
    • Good thermal conductors.
Ionic properties

Ionic properties

  • The ions of the transition metals have properties which are NOT shared by other metals:
    • They have multiple oxidation states.
    • They form coloured ions in solution.
    • They are often great catalysts for chemical reactions.
    • They form complexes with ligands (we’ll explain next what that means).
Ligands

Ligands

  • A ligand is a molecule which forms a dative bond with a transition metal.
    • The ligand donates a lone pair to the transition metal ion.
    • An ion with ligands attached to it is called a complex ion.
    • We define the co-ordination number of an ion as the number of dative bonds between a metal ion and its ligands.
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Principles of Science I

1.1

Structure & Bonding

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Properties of Substances

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Cell Structure & Function

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Cell Specialisation

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Working with Waves

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Principles of Science II

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Extracting Elements

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Organic Chemistry

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Energy Changes in Industry

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Thermal Physics

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Contemporary Issues in Science

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