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Chemistry: High School: 9th and 10th Grade Quiz - Periodic Table - Transition Elements (Questions)

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For high school Chemistry, an understanding of the periodic table is required. In this particular quiz we focus on the transition elements (or the transition metals), which are found between groups 2 and 3 (please note that a few schools teach group 3 is called group 13).

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The transition elements are a family of metals that are found in the block at the center of the periodic table between group 2, the alkaline earth metals, and group 3, the group that includes the important metal aluminum. Transition elements are often referred to as the transition metals and they include metals that you are very familiar with - iron, copper, silver, gold, zinc and others. Many other transition elements are used for everyday items including coins. Coins are made from metals that are 'self-sterilising'. This means that bacteria on the surface of the coin are killed by the metal.

This part of the periodic table also includes metals that are commonly used in small quantities to form alloys, for example, chromium which is alloyed with iron and nickel to produce stainless steel, and titanium, which is alloyed with iron to make a very tough type of steel that is used for armor plating on military vehicles. When alloyed with other metals, titanium is also used for pipes in nuclear power stations and artificial hip joints! You may also have noticed that whenever you come across a chemical reaction that requires a catalyst, the catalyst is often a transition element or a compound of one.

Since they are metals, the transition elements conduct electricity, are ductile and malleable, have high melting points (except mercury), have high densities and so on. They are a lot less reactive than the other metals that you have studied, which is why some of them can be used for making jewelry. But there are some unique properties that you also need to know about. The main one is that they can form colored compounds. Think about the compounds of copper that you have come across - copper sulfate is blue, copper carbonate is green and copper oxide is black. The iron compounds that you have met are also colored, probably the one that you are most familiar with is the oxide of iron that you know as rust. But not all transition element compounds are colored, zinc oxide is white for example (that's the chemical that turns pale yellow when you heat it).

Unlike the other metals, the transition elements can form several different ions, for example, iron can form Fe2+ and Fe3+ ions. Vanadium can form seven different ions. You will usually see a Roman numeral in parentheses after the name, which indicates the ion that is present e.g. copper (II) or iron (III). This appears in the names of the transition element compounds - copper sulfate should properly be called copper (II) sulfate to indicate that it is the Cu2+ ion that is present. This property, and the reason why they form colored ions, is down to their electronic structure, which is more complicated than those of the first 20 elements. There is a partially filled electron shell between their third and fourth shells. Luckily you don't need to be able to draw the arrangement of electrons for these elements.[/readmore]

1. Which of the following is NOT a property of the transition metals?
[ ] Hard
[ ] Malleable
[ ] Good thermal conductor
[ ] Low boiling point
2. Where on the periodic table are the transition elements found?
[ ] On the right
[ ] On the left
[ ] In the middle
[ ] At the bottom
3. Which transition metal is the 'odd one out'?
[ ] Copper
[ ] Mercury
[ ] Gold
[ ] Vanadium
4. Many of the properties of the transition metals are due to their electronic arrangement. How is this different to other metals?
[ ] There is a partially filled electron shell between shells 2 and 3
[ ] There is a partially filled electron shell between shells 1 and 2
[ ] There is a partially filled electron shell between shells 3 and 4
[ ] The innermost electron shell has 4 electrons in it
5. Transition elements often form colored compounds. Pick the correct colors for the following compounds.
[ ] Iron (II) pale green
Iron (III) reddish brown
Copper (II) blue
[ ] Iron (II) reddish brown
Iron (III) blue
Copper (II) green
[ ] Iron (II) green
Iron (III) pale blue
Copper (II) brown
[ ] Iron (II) dark blue
Iron (III) pale green
Copper (II) bright red
6. What does the Roman numeral in brackets after a transition element's name signify?
[ ] The number of atoms in the compound
[ ] The number of bonds formed
[ ] The type of ion formed
[ ] The number of atoms it is bonded with
7. Transition elements are often used as catalysts. Select the INCORRECT pairing of catalyst and process.
[ ] Platinum in car exhausts
[ ] Iron and Haber process
[ ] Nickel and the hydrogenation of oils
[ ] Manganese and the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide
8. Many transition elements are mixed with other elements to form very useful alloys. Which of the following is NOT a correct mixture for a useful alloy?
[ ] Copper and zinc to make brass
[ ] Iron and carbon to make mild steel
[ ] Iron and copper to make stainless steel
[ ] Copper and tin to make bronze
9. Transition element compounds are often used as colored pigments to stain glass and pottery. What color does malachite (a copper compound) produce?
[ ] Blue
[ ] Green
[ ] Red
[ ] White
10. One alloy made from a transition element is bronze, produced from copper and tin. Bronze was used in the manufacture of swords. They were found to be much harder than swords made of pure copper or tin. Why are bronze swords harder than copper swords?
[ ] In the pure element, the atoms are arranged in sheets where they can slide over each other. With bronze, the tin atoms prevent this from happening
[ ] In the pure element, the atoms are arranged haphazardly and are hard to move
[ ] In the pure element, the atoms are not able to move at all, but in the alloy, the atoms can move around
[ ] The tin atoms in the alloy allow the copper atoms to move freely making the alloy really strong
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Chemistry: High School: 9th and 10th Grade Quiz - Periodic Table - Transition Elements (Answers)
1. Which of the following is NOT a property of the transition metals?
[ ] Hard
[ ] Malleable
[ ] Good thermal conductor
[x] Low boiling point
The transition metals are 'typical' metals with one exception
2. Where on the periodic table are the transition elements found?
[ ] On the right
[ ] On the left
[x] In the middle
[ ] At the bottom
The transition elements are found in a block from scandium to zinc in the center of the periodic table
3. Which transition metal is the 'odd one out'?
[ ] Copper
[x] Mercury
[ ] Gold
[ ] Vanadium
Mercury is the only metal that is a liquid at room temperature
4. Many of the properties of the transition metals are due to their electronic arrangement. How is this different to other metals?
[ ] There is a partially filled electron shell between shells 2 and 3
[ ] There is a partially filled electron shell between shells 1 and 2
[x] There is a partially filled electron shell between shells 3 and 4
[ ] The innermost electron shell has 4 electrons in it
This property explains why the transition metals form colored compounds and results in their use as catalysts
5. Transition elements often form colored compounds. Pick the correct colors for the following compounds.
[x] Iron (II) pale green
Iron (III) reddish brown
Copper (II) blue
[ ] Iron (II) reddish brown
Iron (III) blue
Copper (II) green
[ ] Iron (II) green
Iron (III) pale blue
Copper (II) brown
[ ] Iron (II) dark blue
Iron (III) pale green
Copper (II) bright red
The brownish red of iron (III) is the distinctive color we associate with rust
6. What does the Roman numeral in brackets after a transition element's name signify?
[ ] The number of atoms in the compound
[ ] The number of bonds formed
[x] The type of ion formed
[ ] The number of atoms it is bonded with
e.g. Copper (II) is Cu2+ ions in a compound
7. Transition elements are often used as catalysts. Select the INCORRECT pairing of catalyst and process.
[ ] Platinum in car exhausts
[ ] Iron and Haber process
[ ] Nickel and the hydrogenation of oils
[x] Manganese and the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide
Manganese (IV) oxide (MnO2) is used in the process of production of oxygen gas in the laboratory
8. Many transition elements are mixed with other elements to form very useful alloys. Which of the following is NOT a correct mixture for a useful alloy?
[ ] Copper and zinc to make brass
[ ] Iron and carbon to make mild steel
[x] Iron and copper to make stainless steel
[ ] Copper and tin to make bronze
Stainless steel is made of iron, chromium and sometimes nickel
9. Transition element compounds are often used as colored pigments to stain glass and pottery. What color does malachite (a copper compound) produce?
[ ] Blue
[x] Green
[ ] Red
[ ] White
Malachite is a naturally occurring mineral well known for its bright green color. It is often used for jewelry and, due to its softness, for carving
10. One alloy made from a transition element is bronze, produced from copper and tin. Bronze was used in the manufacture of swords. They were found to be much harder than swords made of pure copper or tin. Why are bronze swords harder than copper swords?
[x] In the pure element, the atoms are arranged in sheets where they can slide over each other. With bronze, the tin atoms prevent this from happening
[ ] In the pure element, the atoms are arranged haphazardly and are hard to move
[ ] In the pure element, the atoms are not able to move at all, but in the alloy, the atoms can move around
[ ] The tin atoms in the alloy allow the copper atoms to move freely making the alloy really strong
In an exam question, a diagram will help you to explain this