Transition Elements Properties

Electron Configuration
Atomic radii and ionic radii
Densities
Electronegativity
Melting and boiling point
First Ionization energy
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
• locate between the s-block and p-
block.
• contains the element Group 3-12.
• these groups correspond to the
filling of the atomic d-orbital of
the second outermost shell with
electron configurations ranging
from s2d1 (Group 3) to
s2d10 (Group 12).
 TRANSITION ELEMENTS
Transition element/metal definition:
An element whose atom has an
incomplete d sub-shell, or which can
give rise to cations with an
incomplete d sub-shell.
This definition is accepted by IUPAC.
Compendium of Chemical
Terminology, 2nd ed. (the "Gold
Book"). Compiled by A. D. McNaught
and A. Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific
Publications, Oxford (1997). Online
version (2019-) created by S. J. Chalk.
ISBN 0-9678550-9-8.
https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.

Transition metal has incompletely filled d orbital/subshell in its ground

state or in any one of its oxidation states.
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
On the basis of this definition, zinc,
cadmium and mercury do not count
as transition metals.

For example:
Zinc has the electronic structure [Ar]
3d104s2. When it forms ions, it always
loses the two 4s electrons to give a 2+
ion with the electronic structure [Ar]
3d10. The zinc ion has full d levels and
does not meet the definition either.
 TRANSITION ELEMENTS
Transition Metal Properties:

1. They are silver metals at room temperature. The

exceptions are copper and gold.
2. They are solids at room temperature. The
exception is mercury.

3. They exhibit metallic luster.

4. They have low ionization energies.
5. They are hard.
6. The metals have high melting and boiling points
(except mercury).
7. They are good electrical and thermal
conductors.
The 1st row of d block elements 8. They form alloys.
 TRANSITION ELEMENTS
Sc +3 Transition Metal Properties:
Ti +2 +3 +4 9. They display multiple positive oxidation states.
V +2 +3 +4 +5 This is because of the low energy gap between
states.
Cr +2 +3 +4 +5 +6
Due to the small differences in energy between
Mn +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 3d and 4s subshells, atoms of transition
Fe +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 elements can make use of the 4s electrons as
well as some or all of the 3d electrons for
Co +2 +3 +4 +5 chemical reactions
Ni +2 +3
Cu +1 +2
Zn +2

The 1st row of d block elements

 TRANSITION ELEMENTS
Sc +3
Ti +2 +3 +4
V +2 +3 +4 +5
Cr +2 +3 +4 +5 +6
Mn +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7
Fe +2 +3 +4 +5 +6
Co +2 +3 +4 +5
Ni +2 +3
Cu +1 +2
Zn +2
The 1st row of d block elements
 TRANSITION ELEMENTS
Sc +3
Ti +2 +3 +4
V +2 +3 +4 +5
Cr +2 +3 +4 +5 +6
Mn +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 Mn2+ MnO42− MnO4−
Fe +2 +3 +4 +5 +6
Co +2 +3 +4 +5
Ni +2 +3
Cu +1 +2
Zn +2
The 1st row of d block elements
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1YarI8umPw8Ck9b0Ie9TKw
PGbfXlzmaFY&authuser=0
 TRANSITION ELEMENTS
Q: Why does a transition metal complex appear
to have colour? Transition Metal Properties:
A: It absorbs light at specific wavelengths in
visible region of electromagnetic spectrum. 10. They often form coloured compounds. The
colours are due to d-d electronic transitions.

Complexes will be colorless if no light is absorbed or if The 1st row of d block elements
the absorbed wavelength is not in the visible region.
 TRANSITION ELEMENTS
Complimentary colour is the colour generated from Complimentary colour: if a compound absorbs
left over wavelengths of light after certain visible light of one colour, we can see the
wavelengths are absorbed by the compound under complement of that colour.
study.
Example:
What happens when WE SEE GREEN?

If red, orange, yellow, blue and violet are

absorbed…..ONLY one volour is transmitted
GREEN

If violet, red, orange are absorbed…, blue,

green and yellow are transmitted…the
middle colour is perceived… GREEN

COLOUR WHEEL
 TRANSITION ELEMENTS
Absorption spectra of Cu2+ complexes

This is a simple presentation of a UV-Vis • White light is

spectrophotometer. As light from a
deuterium lamp is sorted through a composed of all the
prism/diffraction grating, a slit is used to wavelengths in the
isolate a subset of wavelengths, which
are absorbed in the sample cell. The
visible spectrum.
transmitted light from the sample cell is • Certain
used to produce an absorbance wavelengths are
spectrum.
being absorbed
(red).
• Certain
wavelengths are
being transmitted
(blue).
Transition Metal Properties:
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
All cations have some tendency to form complex ions as they
11. They can form complex ion. tend to attract lone pair electrons of surrounding ligands – strong
tendency among transition metal cations due to high charge
TRANSITION METAL IONS IN SOLUTION density and the ample (abundant) empty orbitals in their
• When a transition metal compound such as valence shells.
cobalt chloride is dissolved in water it
becomes Co3+ dan Cl- ions.
• Transition metal ions have a high charge
density.
• The Co3+ ions attract water molecules around
them to form a complex
• Metal ions can act as Lewis acids and form
complex ions with Lewis bases (ligands) in
the solvent
 TRANSITION ELEMENTS
Transition Metal Properties:

12. They are paramagnetic (attracted

to a magnetic field). Generally,
paramagnetism results from
unpaired d-electrons.

The 1st row of d block elements

https://youtu.be/zQgyrBnsprU
 TRANSITION ELEMENTS

Transition Metal Properties:

13. They are good catalysts.

Electron Configuration of transition elements

The electron configuration is the

standard notation used to describe
the electronic structure of an atom.
When assigning electrons to orbitals,
we must follow a set of THREE
RULES:

1. Aufbau Principle – lower energy

orbitals fill first
2. Pauli Exclusion Principle – an
orbital can hold only 2 electrons
with opposite spins
3. Hund’s Rule – if degenerate
orbitals are available, electrons
remain unpaired with like spin in
each orbital until all are half-full
 Electron Configuration of transition elements
Electron Configuration: Aufbau Principle

AUFBAU is a German word means

BUILDING UP. The diagonal rule for filling order.
The sequence of atomic orbitals from Electrons are added to energy subshells by
LOWEST ENERGY to HIGHEST ENERGY the order of increasing energy level.
Each box represents an atomic orbital
 Electron Configuration of transition elements
Electron Configuration: Pauli Exclusion Principle
No TWO electrons can have the same values of
all quantum numbers.
Only TWO electrons can occupy a single orbital
with opposite spins.

Electron Configuration: Hund’s Rule

 Electron Configuration of transition elements
Electron configuration for Chromium (Cr) element – Aufbau Principle Exception
Electron Configuration of transition elements

d-block elements anomalies are indicated in red

Row 1 Row 2 Row 3(filled 4f)

Sc [Ar]4s2 3d1, Y [Kr]5s2 4d1,

Ti [Ar]4s2 3d2, Zr [Kr]5s2 4d2, Hf [Xe] 4f14 6s2 5d2,
V [Ar]4s2 3d3, Nb [Kr]5s1 4d4, Ta [Xe] 4f14 6s2 5d3,
Cr [Ar]4s1 3d5, Mo [Kr]5s1 4d5, W [Xe] 4f14 6s2 5d4,
Mn [Ar]4s2 3d5, Tc [Kr]5s2 4d5, Re [Xe] 4f14 6s2 5d5,
Fe [Ar]4s2 3d6, Ru [Kr]5s1 4d7, Os [Xe] 4f14 6s2 5d6,
Co [Ar]4s2 3d7, Rh [Kr]5s1 4d8, Ir [Xe] 4f14 6s2 5d7,
Ni [Ar]4s2 3d8, Pd [Kr]5s0 4d10, Pt [Xe] 4f14 6s1 5d9,
Cu [Ar]4s1 3d10, Ag [Kr]5s1 4d10, Au [Xe] 4f14 6s1 5d10,

Zn [Ar]4s2 3d10, Cd [Kr]5s2 4d10, Hg [Xe]6s2 5d10,

 Electron Configuration of transition elements
Transition Metal Ion Formation

• 3d and 4s sub-shells are very close to each other in

energy.
• Electrons enter 4s sub-shell first.
• Electrons leave 4s sub-shell first.
• For example : Cobalt

27 Co: 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d7 OR [Ar] 4s2 3d7

Transition metal ion formation is more complex Co2+ : [Ar] 3d7 NOT [Ar] 4s2 3d5
than simple cation formation.
Transition metal ions often involve rearrangements Co3+ : [Ar] 3d6 NOT [Ar] 4s2 3d4
of both d and s electrons.
 Atomic radii and ionic radii

• The d-block elements have smaller atomic radii than the s-block elements.

• In a series, atomic radii decreases initially and varies irregularly showing near consistency till 11th group and
then increases in the 12th group.

• With increasing atomic number, nuclear charge and shielding effect of d electrons increase and counter
balance the effects, resulting small decrease in atomic radii.
 Atomic radii and ionic radii

• Size does not appear to increase significantly between second-series and third-series transition elements.
Therefore, the second-series and third-series transition elements have nearly identical radii.

• Due to the lanthanide contraction, second-series and third-series transition elements have similar atomic
radii, so the heavier third-series elements are much denser than the lighter second-series elements.
 Densities

• Relative densities of the transition metals. Density initially increases across each series and then
decreases.

• The densities of the transition metals are inversely related to their atomic radii.
Electronegativity

• The electronegativity of the transition metals

slowly increases across a series. Except for last
element in the series.

• Electronegativity slightly increases between first

and second series, but the third transition series
atoms are about the same as the second. Trend
opposite to main group elements.
 Melting and boiling point

• Melting and boiling points are high.

• A large number of unpaired electrons take part in bonding, • In moving along the period from left to right,
therefore they have very strong metallic bonds and hence the melting point of these metals first
high melting and boiling points. INCREASES to maximum and then DECREASES
• Why d-block elements have higher melting and boiling points regularly towards the end of the period.
than s-block?
both 4s and 3d e- are involved in the formation of metal
bonds. d-block atoms are smaller.
 First ionization energy

• The first ionization energy (IE) increases gradually from left to

right on the periodic table.

• The first IE of the third transition series is generally higher

than the first and second series:
- Indicating the valence electrons are held more tightly
- Trend opposite to main group elements