Atoms Gcse Chemistry

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AQA GCSE Chemistry Your notes
Properties of Transition Metals

Contents
Typical Properties of Transition Metals
Transition Metals vs. Alkali Metals
Page 1 of 6
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Typical Properties of Transition Metals

Your notes
Properties of transition metals
Properties
Most of the known metals are transition metals and they have typical properties of metals
They are very lustrous, they are hard, strong and are good conductors of heat and electricity
They are highly dense metals and have very high melting points
Transition metals can have more than one oxidation state as they can lose a different number of
electrons, depending on the chemical environment they are in
The melting point, density and common ions of the elements Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni and Cu are shown below
Properties of transition metals
Compounds containing transition elements in different oxidation states will have

different properties and colours in aqueous solutions
Transition metals form coloured compounds
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Your notes
The colours produced by ions of the transition elements
Examiner Tip
Note that transition metals themselves do not display a range of colours, it is the compounds they
form that are colourful
Uses of transition metals

Catalysts
The transition elements are used extensively as catalysts which are substances that speed up the rate
of a reaction without being used up in the process
They do not take part in the reaction
Their catalytic characteristics stem from their ability to interchange between a range of oxidation
states
This allows them to form complexes with reagents which can easily donate and accept electrons from
other chemical species within a reaction system
Common transition metal catalysts include:
Iron which is used in the Haber Process
Vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) which is used in the Contact Process to produce sulfuric acid
Nickel which is used in the hydrogenation of alkenes
Medicine
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
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Industrial uses
They are also used to form coloured compounds in dyes and paints for both household and industrial Your notes
applications
They are used in creating stained glass, jewellery and in anti-corrosive materials
Examiner Tip
You should be able to recall at least two applications of the transition elements and state why they are
used in that application.
Page 4 of 6
Transition Metals vs. Alkali Metals

Your notes
Differences between Group 1 metals & transition metals
The transition elements are located between Groups 2 and 3 in the centre of the periodic table
They have all of the typical properties of metals but there are some key differences between them and
the Group 1 metals
Location of the transition metals in the Periodic Table
The transition elements on the Periodic table

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, not far off the average cup of tea!
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
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Examiner Tip Your notes

Although scandium and zinc are in the transition metal area of the Periodic table, they are not
considered transition elements as they do not form coloured compounds and have only one oxidation
state.
Page 6 of 6

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AQA GCSE Chemistry Your notes

Properties of Transition Metals

Typical Properties of Transition Metals

Compounds containing transition elements in different oxidation states will have

The colours produced by ions of the transition elements

Uses of transition metals

Transition Metals vs. Alkali Metals

The transition elements on the Periodic table

Examiner Tip Your notes

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