Study for the Medical Chemistry Test. Explore multiple choice questions with hints and explanations. Get exam-ready with engaging quizzes and comprehensive study materials.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following are transition metals?

Transition metals are the elements in the d-block of the periodic table that typically form ions with partially filled d subshells and show variable oxidation states. The set with V, Zn, and Cu sits in the d-block and demonstrates the characteristic chemistry: vanadium has multiple oxidation states, copper commonly forms Cu2+ with a partially filled d subshell, and zinc, though often seen in a stable Zn2+ state, is located in the same block and participates in coordination chemistry typical of transition metals. The other groups are not transition metals: Na, Mg, and Al come from the s- and p-blocks, He, Ne, and Ar are noble gases with filled electron shells, and C, Si, and Ge are from the carbon group/metalloids in the p-block.

Transition metals are the elements in the d-block of the periodic table that typically form ions with partially filled d subshells and show variable oxidation states. The set with V, Zn, and Cu sits in the d-block and demonstrates the characteristic chemistry: vanadium has multiple oxidation states, copper commonly forms Cu2+ with a partially filled d subshell, and zinc, though often seen in a stable Zn2+ state, is located in the same block and participates in coordination chemistry typical of transition metals. The other groups are not transition metals: Na, Mg, and Al come from the s- and p-blocks, He, Ne, and Ar are noble gases with filled electron shells, and C, Si, and Ge are from the carbon group/metalloids in the p-block.