By Mohammad Musa
The transition metals were discovered and named by the English chemist, Charles Rugeley Bury and it is define by the International Union Of Pure and Applied chemistry (IUPAC ), as an element having a subshell that is partially filled with electrons, or an element that has the ability to form stable cations with an incompletely filled d-orbital.
The d-block elements share many physical and chemical properties with traditional metals but they are less reactive like noble gasses. They have in-between properties lending them the name transition metals.
These metals are placed in the central block of the periodic table between group 2 and 3, they do not show trends in group properties unlike group 1 and group 7 elements which show trends. Transition metals have similar properties and some of these properties are different from the metals in group 1 elements.
Some physical properties of transition metals
_They are good conductors of heat and electricity.
_They can be hammered or bent into shape easily.
_They have high melting points (but mercury is a liquid at room temperature).
_They are usually hard and tough.
_They have high densities.
Some chemical properties of these metals are
_They are less reactive than alkali metals such as sodium.
_They form coloured ions of different charges.
_Some are very unreactive (silver and gold).
_Many are used as catalysts.
Importance of Transition metals
Transition elements are important for life and evolution because, without iron, oxygen would not reach the brain, and life would be impossible.
Uses of Transition Metal in Daily Life
_Titanium is used in the production of parts and engines of aircraft.
_Iron is the most abundant transition element found in the Earth’s crust. It is also used as a catalyst in Haber’s process to produce Ammonia.
_Cobalt is used in paints and pigments because of its brilliant blue color, and is mostly used in rechargeable batteries.
_Copper is the best conductor of electricity and is used in electronics as wires. Copper is also a good conductor of heat, making it very useful to make cooking utensils.
_Chromium and nickel are used as anti-corrosive coatings because of their corrosion-resistant properties and luster.
_Platinum’s color and durability make it very valuable for jewelry.
_Silver is used in jewelry because of its appearance. It is also used in printed circuit boards due to its high electrical conductivity.
_Gold is popularly used in jewelry because of its appearance and also because it does not react with air and water.