transition metal

Introduction
General properties of the group
- Atomic orbitals of the hydrogen atom
- Atomic orbitals of multi-electron atoms
- Molecular orbitals
Discovery of the transition metals
Transition-metal catalysts
Biological functions of transition metals
Theories of transition-metal complexes
- Crystal-field and ligand-field theories
  - Orbital splitting patterns
  - Magnetic and spectroscopic properties
  - Jahn-Teller effect
- Molecular-orbital theory
The elements of the first transition series
The elements of the second and third transition series

References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images

A color-coded periodic table of the elements displays each element's symbol and atomic number, with categories such as alkali metals, noble gases, halogens, transition metals, and actinoid elements distinguished by different background colors.

negative charges arranged around a positively charged ion

At a Glance

transition element summary

Quizzes

Periodic Table of the elements concept image (chemistry)

Facts You Should Know: The Periodic Table Quiz

Related Questions

How are atoms usually coordinated in transition-metal oxides with lower oxidation states?
How are oxygen atoms arranged around transition metals in high-oxidation-state oxo anions?
How are the chemical properties of cobalt different from those of rhodium and iridium?
How can carbon monoxide-type ligands help transition metals reach low oxidation states?
How do copper-containing hemocyanins transport oxygen in some animals?
How do unpaired electrons affect the magnetic properties of transition-metal compounds?
How do unpaired electrons in transition-metal compounds produce color?
How does a transition metal oxide become more acidic as the metal oxidation number increases?
How does chromium impurity give ruby its red color?
How does increasing oxidation number affect the bonding in transition-metal halides?
How does lanthanoid contraction make the properties of second- and third-series transition metals similar?
How does the highest oxidation state change from titanium to manganese?
What determines whether a transition-metal complex is high spin or low spin?
What is the lanthanoid contraction?
What role does cobalt play in vitamin B12?
Which elements belong to the first transition series?
Which groups of the periodic table contain the transition metals?
Which transition metal is most abundant in Earth’s solid crust?
Which transition metals are widely used in structural materials and electrical technology?
Why are iron-containing proteins important for oxygen transport and electron-transfer reactions?
Why are zirconium and hafnium so difficult to separate?
Why can transition metals form compounds with more than one oxidation state?
Why do many transition metals have high melting and boiling points?
Why do nickel complexes with water and ethylenediamine ligands have different colors?
Why do the chemical symbols Fe, Cu, Ag, and Au differ from the English names of iron, copper, silver, and gold?
Why do very high oxidation states become harder to achieve after manganese?
Why is technetium not found as a primordial element in Earth’s crust?
What are halogen elements?
What are the major properties of the halogen elements?
What is the definition of an alkali metal?
Why are they called the alkali metals?
What are some properties of the alkali metals?
What is the most common alkali metal?
What is platinum used for?
Where are the largest deposits of platinum?
What are the properties of platinum?

Science Chemistry

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External Websites

National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Principles Determining the Structure of Transition Metals
Angelo State University - The Transition Metals
Chemguide - The general features of transition metal chemistry
Chemistry LibreTexts - General Properties of Transition Metals
ACS Publications - Synthesis, Properties, and Applications of Transition Metal-Doped Layered Transition Metal Dichalcogenides

transition metal

chemical element

Also known as: d-block element, transition element

Written by

F. Albert Cotton

Robert A. Welch Professor of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station. Author of Chemical Applications of Group Theory.

F. Albert Cotton

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Sep. 30, 2026 •History

transition metal, any of various chemical elements that have valence electrons—i.e., electrons that can participate in the formation of chemical bonds—in two shells instead of only one. While the term transition has no particular chemical significance, it is a convenient name by which to distinguish the similarity of the atomic structures and resulting properties of the elements so designated. They occupy the middle portions of the long periods of the periodic table of elements between...

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