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