My OperaApplication of Transition Metals
Sunday, February 28, 2010 2:12:20 PM
The fact that the transition elements are all metals means that they are lustrous or shiny in appearance, and malleable, meaning that they can be molded into different shapes without breaking. They are excellent conductors of heat and electricity, and tend to form positive ions by losing electrons.
Many of the transition metals, particularly those on periods 4, 5, and 6, form useful alloys—mixtures containing more than one metal—with one another, and with other elements. Because of their differences in electron configuration, however, they do not always combine in the same ways, even within an element.[/B]
Many of the transition metals, particularly those on periods 4, 5, and 6, form useful alloys—mixtures containing more than one metal—with one another, and with other elements. Because of their differences in electron configuration, however, they do not always combine in the same ways, even within an element.[/B]
DIVIDING THE TRANSITION METALS INTO GROUPS.[/I][/COLOR][/B] [/SIZE]
- the "coinage metals"—copper, silver, and gold—all occupy Group 9 on the periodic table.
- the "zinc group"—zinc, cadmium, and mercury—occupy Group 10 on the periodic table.
- the "platinum group"—platinum, iridium, osmium, palladium, rhodium, and ruthenium—occupy a rectangle on the table, corresponding to periods 5 and 6, and groups 6 through 8. What actually makes them a "group," however, is the fact that they tend to appear together in nature.
- Iron, nickel, and cobalt, found alongside one another on Period 4, may be grouped together because they are all magnetic to some degree or another.
Copper[/COLOR][/B]
- copper is an extremely efficient conductor of heat and electricity, and pure copper is widely used for electrical wiring.
- Because of its ability to conduct heat, copper is also applied in materials used for making heaters, as well as for cookware.
- it resists corrosion, and this makes it ideal for plumbing. It can be used to make coins.
Copper can be toxic if there is an excess amount in the human body.
Zinc[/COLOR][/B]
- Zinc oxide is applied in textiles, batteries, paints, and rubber products, while luminous zinc sulfide appears in television screens, movie screens, clock dials, and fluorescent light bulbs.
- Zinc phosphide is used as a rodent poison.
- Like several other transition metals, zinc is a part many living things, yet it can be toxic in large quantities or specific compounds.humans and many animals require zinc in their diets for the digestion of proteins. It is believed that zinc contributes to the healing of wounds and to the storage of insulin in the pancreas.
Iron[/COLOR][/B]
- In its purest form, iron is relatively soft and slightly magnetic, but when hardened, it becomes a lot harder and a lot more magnetic.
- Iron is the symbol of industrialism, it exists in different forms:.
Pig iron: ore smelted in a coke-burning blast furnace
Cast iron: a variety of mixtures containing carbon/ silicon
Wrought iron: contains small amounts of various other elements, such as nickel, cobalt, or copper.
- Iron is used to build skyscrapers, wide-span bridges, trains, heavy machinery and automobile frames. The ways in which iron is used are obvious in our everyday life.
- In the human body, iron is a key part of hemoglobin, the molecule in blood that transports oxygen from the lungs to the cells. Plants, too, need iron, and without the appropriate amounts are likely to lose their colour, weaken, and die.
Cobalt[/COLOR][/B]
- One of the most important uses of cobalt is in a highly magnetic alloy known as alnico, which also contains iron, nickel, and aluminum.
- Cobalt can be used as drill bits when combined with tungsten and chromium.
- Cobalt is also applied in jet engines and turbines.
Nickel[/COLOR][/B]
- Nickel can be used to make coins (eg. American five-cent piece).
- Nickel can also be used to make a protective layer for other metals since it is anti-corrosive.
Mecury[/COLOR][/B]
- mercury is both toxic and highly useful. is widely used in thermometers, an application for which it is extremely well-suited since it expands/shrinks uniformly in length with change of temperature.
