Transition Elements

Transition Elements, series of chemical elements that share similar electron orbital structures and hence similar chemical properties. The transition elements are commonly defined as the 30 elements with atomic numbers 21 to 30, 39 to 48, and 71 to 80. The transition elements exhibit multiple valences or oxidation states typically ranging from +1 to +8 in compounds. In organometallic compounds, consisting of metals bonded to organic species, transition metals sometimes take on negative oxidation states. The transition elements have such typical metallic properties as …

…they absorb some of the frequencies of white light. This is attributed to electronic transitions in the d subshell, separating them into different levels of energy. When light is absorbed, an electron is raised from a lower state to a higher state, giving the rise to color. The stored energy is then dissipated through heat. The transition metals also have complex ionic structures because of the availability of d orbitals for participating in chemical bonding.