transition metals

Question 1

properties of transition metals

Answer 1

• lustrous
• hard
• strong
• good conductors of heat and electricity
• highly dense
• very high melting points
• They can have more than one oxidation state (charge on the ion) as they can lose a different number of electrons depending on the chemical environment they are in.
• can be used as catalysts
• can be used in medicine
• They are also used to form coloured compounds

Question 2

Compounds containing transition elements in different oxidation states will have

Answer 2

different properties and colours in aqueous solutions

Question 3

Note

Answer 3

that transition metals themselves do not display a range of colours, it is the compounds they form that are colourful

Question 4

Common transition metal catalysts include

Answer 4

• Iron which is used in the Haber-Bosch Process
• Vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) which is used in the Contact Process to produce sulfuric acid
• Nickel which is used in the hydrogenation of alkenes
• Platinum to produce nitric acid

Question 5

Catalysis

Answer 5

The transition elements are used extensively as catalysts which are chemical substances which can speed up/increase the rate of a chemical reaction, without itself undergoing any chemical change.
They do not take part in the reaction

Question 6

Medicine-transition metals

Answer 6

• The transition metals are also used in medicine and surgical applications such as limb and joint replacement
• Titanium in particular is useful as it is the only element that can bond with bones due to its high biocompatibility

Question 7

Other industrial applications for transition metals

Answer 7

• They are also used to form coloured compounds in dyes and paints for both household and industrial applications
• They are used in creating stained glass, jewellery and in anti-corrosive materials

Question 8

Differences between alkali and transition metals

Answer 8

All of the group 1 metals form ions with a +1 charge while the transition metals can form ions with variable charges
For example iron can form an Fe2+ ion or an Fe3+ ion
The transition metals are much harder, stronger and denser than the group 1 metals, which are very soft and light
They have much higher melting points e.g. titanium melts at 1,688 ºC whereas potassium melts at only 63.5 ºC.
The transition metals are much less reactive than the group 1 metals
The alkali metals react with water, oxygen and halogens while the transition metals either react very slowly or do not react at all
A classic example of this is the reaction with oxygen
A group 1 metal will tarnish in the presence of oxygen as a metal oxide is formed
When cut with a knife, the shiny appearance of the metal disappears in seconds as it is covered by the dull metal oxide
Iron on the other hand can take several weeks to react with oxygen to form iron oxide (rust) and requires the presence of water

Question 9

What two metals are in the transition metal area of the periodic table but aren’t transition metals?

Answer 9

• scandium and zinc as they do not form coloured compounds and have only one oxidation state

Question 10

Q: Name two physical properties that iron shares with all metals

Answer 10

• shiny surface when freshly cut

- conducts electricity in molten state