THE TRANSITION METALS

The Transition elements Transition means “an in between state” and the transition elements come in between Group 2 and Group 3. Gp 2 Gp 3 H Li Na K Rb Cs Fr Be Mg Ga Ge Se Br Ca Kr In Sn Sb Sr Te Ba Tl Pb Bi Po At Ra Al P N O S Cl F Ne Ar Rn I Si Xe He B C As Transition Elements Sc Ti V Cr Mn Fe Co Ni Cu Zn Y Zr Nb Mo Tc Ru Pd Ag Cd Rh Hf Ta W Re Os Ir Au Hg La Pt Rf Db Sg Bh Hs Mt ? Ac

General Characteristics Transition Elements They have high density. They often act as catalysts. They mostly form coloured compounds. They are less reactive than Group 1 or Group 2 metals. They have high melting points. Transition metals are often referred to as ‘typical’ metals.

Properties – density Similarities are more noticeable than differences although there are still some broad patterns. They are all dense which is what we expect of metals. Sc Ti V Cr Mn Fe Co Ni Cu Zn

Properties – melting point Melting points show no regular pattern – other than nearly all being high which is typical of metals. (Note zinc doesn’t fit very well on either density or melting point.) Sc Ti V Cr Mn Fe Co Ni Cu Zn

Properties – reactivity Again it is similarities that stand out rather than differences: they tend to react relatively slowly (e.g.) with air, water and acid. The general trend is to reduced activity across the Periodic Table but again the trend is far from perfect with zinc in particular being more reactive than you might expect. Rusting: a slow but costly process! Sc Ti V Cr Mn Fe Co Ni Cu Zn General reduced reactivity

Properties – catalysis A catalyst is a substance that speeds up a chemical reaction without being used up. Catalysts are hugely valuable in industry where they can save time and energy. Many transition elements ( and their compounds) are catalysts. V Ni Used in oil hydrogenation Ti Used in plastic manufacture Fe

Uses The three most commonly known transition elements are iron or steel, copper and zinc. iron or steel General engineering metal copper Electrical and plumbing work zinc Galvanising steel to protect it

Summary The transition metals are found in the middle block of the periodic table Transition metals have properties which make them useful for building and making things Most of the metals we use are alloys. For example copper, gold and aluminium are all alloyed with other metals to make them harder