Transition elements

Properties
1. Good conductors of heat and electricity
2. Very dense, strong and shiny
3. Much less reactive than group 1 metals - don't react with water or oxygen
4. Denser, stronger and harder than group 1 metals
  1. Higher melting point (except for mercury)
Often have more than one ion, eg Fe2+, Fe3+
1. Usually form different coloured compounds too
  1. Fe2+
  2. Fe3+
Compounds are very colourful
1. Colourful due to the transition metal they contain, eg...
  1. Potassium chromate(VI)
  2. Potassium manganate(VII)
  3. Copper (II) sulphate
2. The colour of peoples hair and colours in gemstones - blue sapphires and green emeralds - and colours in pottery glazes are all due to transition metals
  1. Weathered copper is green - statue of liberty
Transition metals and their compounds all make good catalysts
1. Iron is the catalyst used in the Haber process for making ammonia
2. Manganese(IV) oxide is a good catalyst for the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide
3. Nickel is useful for turning oils into fats for making margarine
Their properties are due to the way their electron shells fill
1. In an atom, energy levels get closer together as they get further from the nucleus until they overlap
  1. First happens between energy levels 3 & 4 - affects the way the electron shells fill
2. Potassium has 19 electrons - but the 19th goes into a 4th energy level, not the third - 2,8,8,1, same as calcium
3. The next ten elements (transition metals) but their electrons into the overlapping 3rd energy level until its full

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Transition elements

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	Created by jadepalmer98 about 12 years ago