9.3Transition elements

Transition elements

 

A collection of metals with the following properties:

-hard, tough and strong

-high melting points (except mercury)

-malleable (can be hammered into different shapes) and ductile (can be drawn out into wires)

-good conductors of heat and electricity (silver is the best)

-high density (greater than water’s density)

-Much less reactive than group one metals, except for iron which rusts easily

-Have no trend in reactivity

-can be used as catalysts

-Mostly form coloured compounds

-can form complex ions

-Can form several differently charged ions: have variable valency, therefore…..

-they can form more than one compound with another element: FeO, Fe2O3