ElementsWhat are the transition metals?
The transition metals fill the wide middle block of the table, columns 3 to 12. This is where most everyday metals are found: iron, copper, zinc, nickel, silver, gold. They are usually hard and strong, with high melting points, and carry heat and electricity well. Many form coloured compounds and can combine with other elements in more than one way. Many are good catalysts, which means they speed up chemical reactions without being used up.
The family in numbers
Melting points in this family run from -38.8 °C (mercury) to 3,422 °C (tungsten). Among its solid members, the least dense is scandium (2.99 g/cm³) and the densest is osmium (22.57 g/cm³). Known since ancient times: iron, copper, silver, gold, mercury. The most recently discovered member is copernicium (1996).
All transition metals compared
| No. | Symbol | Name | Atomic mass | State | Melts at | Boils at | Density g/cm³ | Discovered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Sc | Scandium | 44.95591 | Solid | 1,541 °C | 2,836 °C | 2.99 | 1879 |
| 22 | Ti | Titanium | 47.867 | Solid | 1,668 °C | 3,287 °C | 4.5 | 1791 |
| 23 | V | Vanadium | 50.9415 | Solid | 1,910 °C | 3,407 °C | 6 | 1801 |
| 24 | Cr | Chromium | 51.996 | Solid | 1,907 °C | 2,671 °C | 7.15 | 1797 |
| 25 | Mn | Manganese | 54.93804 | Solid | 1,246 °C | 2,061 °C | 7.3 | 1774 |
| 26 | Fe | Iron | 55.84 | Solid | 1,538 °C | 2,861 °C | 7.87 | Ancient |
| 27 | Co | Cobalt | 58.93319 | Solid | 1,495 °C | 2,927 °C | 8.86 | 1735 |
| 28 | Ni | Nickel | 58.693 | Solid | 1,455 °C | 2,913 °C | 8.91 | 1751 |
| 29 | Cu | Copper | 63.55 | Solid | 1,085 °C | 2,562 °C | 8.93 | Ancient |
| 30 | Zn | Zinc | 65.4 | Solid | 419.5 °C | 906.9 °C | 7.13 | 1746 |
| 39 | Y | Yttrium | 88.90584 | Solid | 1,522 °C | 3,345 °C | 4.47 | 1794 |
| 40 | Zr | Zirconium | 91.22 | Solid | 1,855 °C | 4,409 °C | 6.52 | 1789 |
| 41 | Nb | Niobium | 92.90637 | Solid | 2,477 °C | 4,744 °C | 8.57 | 1801 |
| 42 | Mo | Molybdenum | 95.95 | Solid | 2,623 °C | 4,639 °C | 10.2 | 1778 |
| 43 | Tc | Technetium | 96.90636 | Solid | 2,157 °C | 4,265 °C | 11 | 1937 |
| 44 | Ru | Ruthenium | 101.1 | Solid | 2,334 °C | 4,150 °C | 12.1 | 1827 |
| 45 | Rh | Rhodium | 102.9055 | Solid | 1,964 °C | 3,695 °C | 12.4 | 1803 |
| 46 | Pd | Palladium | 106.42 | Solid | 1,555 °C | 2,963 °C | 12 | 1803 |
| 47 | Ag | Silver | 107.868 | Solid | 961.8 °C | 2,162 °C | 10.5 | Ancient |
| 48 | Cd | Cadmium | 112.41 | Solid | 321.1 °C | 766.9 °C | 8.69 | 1817 |
| 72 | Hf | Hafnium | 178.49 | Solid | 2,233 °C | 4,603 °C | 13.3 | 1923 |
| 73 | Ta | Tantalum | 180.9479 | Solid | 3,017 °C | 5,458 °C | 16.4 | 1802 |
| 74 | W | Tungsten | 183.84 | Solid | 3,422 °C | 5,555 °C | 19.3 | 1783 |
| 75 | Re | Rhenium | 186.207 | Solid | 3,186 °C | 5,596 °C | 20.8 | 1925 |
| 76 | Os | Osmium | 190.2 | Solid | 3,033 °C | 5,012 °C | 22.57 | 1803 |
| 77 | Ir | Iridium | 192.22 | Solid | 2,446 °C | 4,428 °C | 22.42 | 1803 |
| 78 | Pt | Platinum | 195.08 | Solid | 1,768 °C | 3,825 °C | 21.46 | 1735 |
| 79 | Au | Gold | 196.96657 | Solid | 1,064 °C | 2,856 °C | 19.28 | Ancient |
| 80 | Hg | Mercury | 200.59 | Liquid | -38.8 °C | 356.7 °C | 13.53 | Ancient |
| 104 | Rf | Rutherfordium | 267.122 | Solid | no value | no value | no value | 1964 |
| 105 | Db | Dubnium | 268.126 | Solid | no value | no value | no value | 1967 |
| 106 | Sg | Seaborgium | 269.128 | Solid | no value | no value | no value | 1974 |
| 107 | Bh | Bohrium | 270.133 | Solid | no value | no value | no value | 1976 |
| 108 | Hs | Hassium | 269.1336 | Solid | no value | no value | no value | 1984 |
| 109 | Mt | Meitnerium | 277.154 | Solid | no value | no value | no value | 1982 |
| 110 | Ds | Darmstadtium | 282.166 | Solid | no value | no value | no value | 1994 |
| 111 | Rg | Roentgenium | 282.169 | Solid | no value | no value | no value | 1994 |
| 112 | Cn | Copernicium | 286.179 | Solid | no value | no value | no value | 1996 |
Other families: alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, post-transition metals, metalloids, nonmetals, halogens, noble gases, lanthanides, actinides.