transition element

A metallic element that has an incomplete inner shell. Transition elements occupy the short groups in the periodic table – i.e., groups IB through VIIB and group VIII – in which the d-orbitals are being filled. In general the transition elements are dense, hard, and of high melting point. Their electronic structures, with many loosely-bound unpaired d electrons, account for their properties: they exhibit many different valence states, form stable ligand complexes, are mostly colored and paramagnetic, and are generally good catalysts. They form many stable organometallic compounds and carbonyls (compounds in which carbon monoxide, CO, acts as a ligand) with specially stable "push-pull" bonding. The second and third row transition elements are less reactive than the first row, and stable in higher valence states. Many transition elements are technologically important.

Table of transition elements
element name	symbol	atomic no.
Scandium	Sc	21
Titanium	Ti	22
Vanadium	V	23
Chromium	Cr	24
Manganese	Mn	25
Iron	Fe	26
Cobalt	Co	27
Nickel	Ni	28
Copper	Cu	29
Zinc	Zn	30
Yttrium	Y	39
Zirconium	Zr	40
Niobium	Nb	41
Molybdenum	Mo	42
Technetium	Tc	43
Ruthenium	Ru	44
Rhodium	Rh	45
Palladium	Pd	46
Silver	Ag	47
Cadmium	Cd	48
Tantalum	Ta	73
Tungsten	W	74
Rhenium	Re	75
Osmium	Os	76
Iridium	Ir	77
Platinum	Pt	78
Gold	Au	79
Mercury	Hg	80
Rutherfordium	Rf	104
Dubnium	Db	105
Seaborgium	Sg	106
Bohrium	Bh	107
Hassium	Hs	108
Meitnerium	Mt	109
Uununnilium	Uun	110
Unununium	Uuu	111
Ununbium	Uub	112

Related categories

• ATOMIC AND NUCLEAR PHYSICS
• INORGANIC CHEMISTRY

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