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Chapter 23: Problem 4

With only minor irregularities, the melting points of the first series of transition metals rise from that of Sc to that of Cr and then fall to that of Zn. Give a plausible explanation for this phenomenon based on atomic structure.

Short Answer

Expert verified
The trend in melting points from Scandium to Zinc in transition metals can be explained by the atomic structure, specifically the number of unpaired d-electrons involved in metallic bonding. The melting points increase as the number of unpaired d-electrons increases from Sc to Cr, strengthening the metallic bond. After Cr, the electrons start to pair up, meaning fewer metallic bonds and thus reduced melting points. Zinc has no unpaired electrons, hence has a lower melting point.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Transition Metals

Transition metals are those found in Groups 3-12 on the Periodic Table. They have special properties due to the presence of electrons in their d orbital. It's important to understand their general atomic structure first which has an incompletely filled d orbital where one or two of their external energy level electrons are found.
02

Realizing the trend of melting points within the series

It's observed that the melting points of transition metals rise from Scandium (Sc) to Chromium (Cr), and then fall to Zinc (Zn). Thus, we can highlight a trend: Sc < Cr > Zn.
03

Explaining the Trend

The observed trend in melting points can be explained by the bond strength between atoms. As we move from Sc to Cr, the number of unpaired d-electrons increases. Unpaired d-electrons can form more and stronger metallic bonds, resulting in an increase in melting points. After reaching Cr, the number of unpaired d-electrons starts to decrease because the electrons start pairing up in the d-orbital, weakening the metallic bonds, and hence the melting points drop.
04

Case of Zinc

In the case of Zinc (Zn), its d-orbital is fully filled and there are no unpaired electrons to form metallic bonds. This explains its lower melting point as compared to the others.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

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