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Transition Elements

atomic physics

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Williams Chukwuebuka
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52 views

Transition Elements

atomic physics

Uploaded by

Williams Chukwuebuka
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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What are Transition Elements?

Transition elements (also known as transition metals) are elements that have partially filled d
orbitals. IUPAC defines transition elements as an element having a d subshell that is partially
filled with electrons, or an element that has the ability to form stable cations with an
incompletely filled d orbital.
In general, any element which corresponds to the d-block of the modern periodic table (which
consists of groups 3-12) is considered to be a transition element. Even the f-block
elements comprising the lanthanides and the actinides can be considered as transition metals.
However, since the f-block elements have incompletely filled f-orbitals, they are often referred to
as inner transition elements or inner transition metals. An illustration detailing the position of
transition metals on the periodic table along with their general electronic configurations is
provided below.

It is important to note that the element’s mercury, cadmium, and zinc are not considered
transition elements because of their electronic configurations, which corresponds to (n-1)d 10 ns2.
These elements have completely filled d orbitals in their ground states and even in some of their
oxidation states. One such example is the +2 oxidation state of mercury, which corresponds to an
electronic configuration of (n-1)d10.
Electronic Configuration of Transition Elements
The list of the first two rows of transition elements with their corresponding electronic
configurations is tabulated below. It can be noted that in some of these elements, the
configuration of electrons corresponds to (n-1)d5 ns1 or (n-1)d10 ns1. This is because of the
stability provided by the half-filled or completely filled electron orbitals.
Transition Elements Atomic Number Electronic Configuration
Sc 21 [Ar] 3d1 4s2
Ti 22 [Ar] 3d2 4s2
V 23 [Ar] 3d3 4s2
Cr 24 [Ar] 3d5 4s1
Mn 25 [Ar] 3d5 4s2
Fe 26 [Ar] 3d6 4s2
Co 27 [Ar] 3d7 4s2
Ni 28 [Ar] 3d8 4s2
Cu 29 [Ar] 3d10 4s1
Zn 30 [Ar] 3d10 4s2
Y 39 [Kr] 4d1 5s2
Zr 40 [Kr] 4d2 5s2
Nb 41 [Kr] 4d4 5s1
Mo 42 [Kr] 4d5 5s1
Tc 43 [Kr] 4d5 5s2
Ru 44 [Kr] 4d7 5s1
Rh 45 [Kr] 4d8 5s1
Pd 46 [Kr] 4d10
Ag 47 [Kr] 4d10 5s1
Cd 48 [Kr] 4d10 5s2
It can be observed that the Aufbau principle is not followed by many transition elements like
chromium. The reason for this is believed to be the relatively low energy gap between the 3d and
4s orbitals, and the 4d and 5s orbitals.
General Properties of Transition Elements
As discussed earlier, the elements zinc, cadmium, and mercury are not considered transition
elements since their electronic configurations are different from other transition metals.
However, the rest of the d-block elements are somewhat similar in properties and this similarity
can be observed along each specific row of the periodic table. These properties of the transition
elements are listed below.
 These elements form coloured compounds and ions. This colour is explained by the d-d
transition of electrons.
 There is a relatively low gap in energy between the possible oxidation states of these
elements. The transition elements, therefore, exhibit many oxidation states.
 Many paramagnetic compounds are formed by these elements, because of the unpaired
electrons in the d orbital.
 A large variety of ligands can bind themselves to these elements. Due to this, a wide
variety of stable complexes are formed by transition elements.
 These elements have a large ratio of charge to the radius.
 Transition metals tend to be hard and they have relatively high densities when compared
to other elements.
 The boiling points and the melting points of these elements are high, due to the
participation of the delocalized d electrons in metallic bonding.
 This metallic bonding of the delocalized d electrons also causes the transition elements to
be good conductors of electricity.
Several transition metals have catalytic properties that are very useful in the industrial production
of some chemicals. For example, iron is used as a catalyst in the Haber process of preparing
ammonia. Similarly, vanadium pentoxide is used as a catalyst in the industrial production of
sulfuric acid.
Atomic Ionic Radii
The atomic and ionic radii of the transition elements decrease from group 3 to group 6 due to the
poor shielding offered by the small number of d-electrons. Those placed between groups 7 and
10 have somewhat similar atomic radii and those placed in groups 11 and 12 have larger radii.
This is because the nuclear charge is balanced out by the electron-electron repulsions.
While traversing down the group, an increase in the atomic and ionic radii of the elements can be
observed. This increase in the radius can be explained by the presence of a greater number of
subshells.
Ionization Enthalpy
Ionization enthalpy refers to the amount of energy that must be supplied to an element for the
removal of a valence electron. The greater the effective nuclear charge acting on the electrons,
the greater the ionization potential of the element. This is why the ionization enthalpies of
transition elements are generally greater than those of the s-block elements.
In a way, the ionization energy of an element is closely related to its atomic radius. Atoms with
smaller radii tend to have greater ionization enthalpies than those with relatively larger radii. The
ionization energies of the transition metals increase while moving along the row (due to the
increase in atomic number).

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