What is the primary reason for the variable oxidation states of transition metal
Practice Questions
Q1
What is the primary reason for the variable oxidation states of transition metals?
Presence of d-electrons
High atomic mass
Low ionization energy
High electronegativity
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
What is the primary reason for the variable oxidation states of transition metals?
Step 1: Understand what oxidation states are. Oxidation states indicate the charge of an atom in a compound.
Step 2: Learn about transition metals. Transition metals are elements found in the middle of the periodic table.
Step 3: Identify d-electrons. Transition metals have d-electrons in their electron configuration.
Step 4: Recognize the role of d-electrons. D-electrons can participate in bonding and can be lost or gained.
Step 5: Conclude that the presence of d-electrons allows transition metals to lose different numbers of electrons, leading to variable oxidation states.
