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Chapter 18: Problem 11

Give a brief account of magnetic behaviour of transition elements.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Transition elements usually show magnetic behaviour due to their unpaired d-electrons. Most are paramagnetic, being attracted into a magnetic field, with some (like iron, cobalt and nickel) showing ferromagnetism due to unpaired electrons aligning parallels in domains.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Transition Elements

Transition elements are chemical elements in groups 3-12 of the periodic table, including elements like iron, copper, and gold. They have certain properties that are important in their magnetic behaviour: they have partially filled d-orbitals and can generate several oxidation states.
02

Unpaired Electrons and Magnetism

The magnetic properties of an element are determined by the number of unpaired electrons it possesses. Electrons have a property called 'spin' - a type of angular momentum that has a magnetic moment associated with it. If an atom or ion possesses unpaired electrons, it can be attracted into a magnetic field, showing paramagnetic behaviour.
03

Magnetic behaviour of Transition Elements

Most transition elements display paramagnetic behaviour due their unpaired d-electrons. Some, like manganese(II) (Mn2+), have high spin because all five of the electrons in the 3d level are unpaired and all have the same spin. Some transition elements can also show ferromagnetism or antiferromagnetism. For example, iron, cobalt and nickel are transition metals which are ferromagnetic at room temperature.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Why do copper and chromium have exceptional electronic configuration.

Describe the trend of atomic and ionic radii of first, second and third transition series.

Account for the statement: Zinc, cadmium and mercury are not strictly transition elements.

Give reasons for the following (a) \(\mathrm{Mn}^{2+}\) shows the maximum magnetic character among the divalent ions of \(3 d\) -transition series. (b) \(\mathrm{Cu}^{+}\) is diamagnetic but \(\mathrm{Cu}^{2+}\) is paramagnetic. (c) Transition metals have high electrode potential but they are not good reducing agents. (d) Alkali metals are more reactive than transition metals

How do transition elements differ from \(s\) and \(p\) -block elements.
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