2.53. Transition Metals http://www.ck12.org
2.53 Transition Metals
- Identify transition metals.
- List properties of transition metals.
- Describe the lanthanides and actinides.
What do all of the objects pictured above have in common? All of them are made completely or primarily of copper.
Copper has an amazing variety of uses, including cooking pots, plumbing pipes, roofing tiles, jewelry, musical
instruments, and electric wires. Copper is a good choice for these and many other objects because of its properties.
It can be formed into wires and flat sheets, it’s a great conductor of heat and electricity, it’s hard and strong, and it
doesn’t corrode easily. In all these ways, copper is a typical transition metal.
What Are Transition Metals?
Transition metalsare all the elements in groups 3–12 of the periodic table. In the periodic table pictured inFigure
2.108, they are the elements shaded yellow, pink, and purple. The transition metals make up about 60 percent of
all known elements. In addition to copper (Cu), well known examples of transition metals include iron (Fe), zinc
(Zn), silver (Ag), and gold (Au) (Copper (Cu) is pictured in its various applications in the opening image). You can
explore specific transition metals with the interactive periodic table at this URL: http://www.ptable.com/.
Q:Transition metals have been called the most typical of all metals. What do you think this means?
A:Unlike some other metals, transition metals have the properties that define the metals class. They are excellent
conductors of electricity, for example, and they also have luster, malleability, and ductility. You can read more about
these properties of transition metals below.
Properties of Transition Metals
Transition metals are superior conductors of heat as well as electricity. They are malleable, which means they can
be shaped into sheets, and ductile, which means they can be shaped into wires. They have high melting and boiling
points, and all are solids at room temperature, except for mercury (Hg), which is a liquid. Transition metals are
also high in density and very hard. Most of them are white or silvery in color, and they are generally lustrous, or