1.3 Properties of Transition Metals
Typical properties
General properties of metals still hold
Dense, shiny and strong
Good conductor of heat and electricity
Colourless compounds
e.g. Cu2+ ions are blue
e.g. Fe2+ ions are green
Form more than one ion
e.g. Copper forms Cu+ and Cu2+ ions
Good catalysts
Speeds up the rate of reaction without being used up
Nickel catalyst for the hydrogenation of alkenes
Iron catalyst in Haber process
Comparison to group 1 elements
Higher melting points
Stronger, harder and denser
Group 1 metals do not form more than one ion
Group 1 metals do not form coloured compounds
Much less reactive than group 1 metals
Demonstrated by relative reactions with water, oxygen and halogens