Transition Metals (Overview)

This lesson provides an overview of the transition metals, as required by AQA GCSE Combined Science Trilogy (8464, Chemistry 4.1.2). The transition metals are found in the central block of the periodic table, between Group 2 and Group 3. They include many commonly known metals such as iron, copper, gold, silver and zinc.

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Where Are the Transition Metals?

The transition metals occupy the large central block of the periodic table (sometimes called the d-block):

• They are positioned between Group 2 (alkaline earth metals) and Group 3 (the boron group).
• Common transition metals include: iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), silver (Ag), gold (Au) and platinum (Pt).

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Typical Properties of Transition Metals

Compared to Group 1 metals, transition metals are much "harder" and more typically metallic: