Transition Elements Flashcards
State three properties of transition elements
They form coloured compounds
They have variable oxidation states
They can be used as catalysts
Define a transition element
A d-block element that forms an ion with an incomplete d sub-shell
What is a catalyst?
A species that increases the rate of reaction without undergoing any permanent change itself.
It does this by providing an alternative route of lower activation energy
Why can water behave as a ligand?
A water molecule has a lone pair of electrons that can be donated to the central metal ion
Define a complex ion
A transition metal ion bonded to one or more ligands by coordinate bonds (dative covalent bonds)
What is a ligand?
A molecule or ion that can donate a pair of electrons with the transition metal ion to form a coordinate bond
What is the coordination number?
The total number of coordinate bonds formed between a central metal ion and its ligands
What is ligand substitution?
A reaction in which one ligand in a complex ion is replaced by another ligand
Why are multidentate complexes so stable?
Due to an increase in entropy
What is the stability constant?
The equilibrium constant for an equilibrium existing between a transition metal ion surrounded by water ligands and the complex formed when the same ion has undergone a ligand substitution
