TRANSITION ELEMENTS

Section 3

What we’ll learn?

• Identify properties of some transition elements.• Distinguish lanthanides from actinides.

Why it’s important?

Transition elements provide the materials for many things including electricity in your home and steel for construction.

Vocabulary:

• Catalyst• Lanthanide• Actinide• Synthetic element

• Groups 3-12• Metals• Combined with their elements in Ores (rocks that

contain minerals such as gemstone or metals)

Transition Elements

IRON TRIAD

• 3 elements : -iron (Fe), Cobalt (Co), Nickel (Ni)-similar properties

USES:

• Magnetic Properties- Industrial magnets from cobalt & nickel

• Nickel + Cadmium = batteries• Iron (Fe) – part of HEMOGLOBIN (substance

that transport oxygen in the blood)

• Iron (Fe)- mixed with other metals & carbon to create steels (bridges, skyscrapers, buildings)

USES OF TRANSITION ELEMENTS• Tungsten (W)- -filaments in light bulb- highest melting point• Mercury (Hg)- Thermometers- Liquid @ room temp.- Lowest melting point- Poisonous to living things

• Chromium ( Ch)- “chroma” (color)- Brilliant colors

Platinum Group (similar properties)Ruthenium( Ru), Rhodium (Rh), palladium (Pd),

osmium (Os), iridium (Ir), platinum( Pt)- don’t combine easily with other elements- Used as catalyst (a substance that can make

something happen faster)- Used as plastics, medicines

INNER TRANSITION ELEMENTSa. Lanthanide ( Cerium-Lutetium)

b. Actinide ( Thorium- Lawrencium)

Lanthanide:

• Rare elements• Found with O2• Soft metals• Hard to separateUses:Cerium –Misch metal (lighter)

Actinide

• Radioactive-Uranium (U) found in earth’s crust

Synthetic Elements (man- made)

• Plutonium( Pu)– as fuel in nuclear power plants.• Americium (Am)- smoke detectors• Californium 252 (Cf)- kill cancer cells

Dental Materials:

• Amalgam- fill in cavities (silver filling)(mixture of Copper (Cu), Tin (Sn), mercury (Hg)• Braces (wire)- nickel (Ni), titanium (Ti) alloy