The Transition Metals

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What are the transition metals?

The transition metals are the block of elements in the middle of the Periodic Table.

Some of the better known transition metals are:

Chemical Name	Chemical Symbol
chromium	Cr
iron	Fe
nickel	Ni
copper	Cu
zinc	Zn
silver	Ag
platinum	Pt
gold	Au
mercury	Hg

Physical Properties of Transition Metals

• They are metals.
• They are good conductors of heat and electricity.
• They can be hammered or bent into shape easily.
• They have higher melting points than alkali metals except for mercury which is a liquid at room temperature
• They are hard and tough.
• They have high densities.

Chemical Properties of Transition Metals

• They are less reactive than the Group 1 alkali metals. This means that they do not corrode easily in air or water. (Iron is an exception because it rusts easily)
• Most transition metals form ions with different charges. They have variable valency.

Copper	Cu+, Cu2+
Iron	Fe2+, Fe3+

• Due to their variable valency, they can form more than one compound with another element. The Roman number in brackets indicates the number of electrons the metal atom has lost. The number is called the oxidation state.

copper(I) oxide	CuO
copper(II) oxide	Cu2O
iron(II) oxide	FeO
iron(III) oxide	Fe2O3

• They form colored compounds.

copper(I) oxide	red
copper(II) oxide	black
iron(II) oxide	reddish brown
iron(III) oxide	brown

Uses of the transition metals

• Iron is used in structures such as buildings, cars and bridges.
• They can be used in making alloy. For example, chromium and nickel are mixed with iron to make stainless steel.
• They are used as conductors of heat and electricity. For example, copper is used for electricity cables and steel is used for radiators.
• They can be used as catalyst to speed up reactions.

Videos

Chromium is element number 24. Iron
This video shows a red-hot thermite reaction (Iron oxide + Aluminum)
Fe₂O₃(s) + 2 Al(s) → 2 Fe(l) + Al₂O₃(s)). Nickel is element number 28 Copper is element number 29 Zinc
This video shows a composition of zinc and sulfur.
When ignited, zinc (Zn) reacts with sulfur (S) and creates zinc sulfide (ZnS). Zn + S → ZnS
The reaction is exothermic, which means it releases energy. Silver is element number 47 and its chemical symbol is Ag.

Platinum - often associated with jewellery and motor cars - is element number 78. Gold is element number 79.

The liquid metal Mercury is element number 80.