Transition Metal - Characteristic Properties

Characteristic Properties

There are a number of properties shared by the transition elements that are not found in other elements, which results from the partially filled d shell. These include

• the formation of compounds whose colour is due to d – d electronic transitions
• the formation of compounds in many oxidation states, due to the relatively low reactivity of unpaired d electrons.
• the formation of many paramagnetic compounds due to the presence of unpaired d electrons. A few compounds of main group elements are also paramagnetic (e.g. nitric oxide, oxygen)