Learning the periodic table can be quite challenging for any individual. Remembering the properties of so many elements can be mind-boggling for students. For better understanding, the elements in the periodic table can be divided into blocks. In this article, we will learn about the elements that belong to the d-block of the periodic table.
The d-block consists of elements from columns 3 to12. Due to the transitivity of properties, the d-block elements are known as transition metals. Since the electrons in the d orbital basically lie between s and p orbitals, they show a transition from properties of s to p.
The metals contained in the d-block can form chemical bonds in two or more ways pertaining to the fact that the d-orbit electrons have a very small difference in the energy levels. The oxidation states also vary between the metals in the d-block.
The number and types of the chemicals forming compounds also vary depending upon the variation in the oxidation states. There are one or more d-orbital electrons that are chemically active, which unify the d-block elements.
In order to learn about the atomic structure of the transition metals, let’s have a look at their electronic configurations.
| Element | Electronic Configuration |
| Scandium (Sc) | 1s2, 2s2, 2p6, 3s2, 3p6, 3d1, 4s2 |
| Titanium (Ti) | 1s2, 2s2, 2p6, 3s2, 3p6, 3d2, 4s2 |
| Vanadium (V) | 1s2, 2s2, 2p6, 3s2, 3p6, 3d3, 4s2 |
| Chromium (Cr) | 1s2, 2s2, 2p6, 3s2, 3p6, 3d5, 4s1 |
| Manganese (Mn) | 1s2, 2s2, 2p6, 3s2, 3p6, 3d5, 4s2 |
| Iron (Fe) | 1s2, 2s2, 2p6, 3s2, 3p6, 3d6, 4s2 |
| Cobalt (Co) | 1s2, 2s2, 2p6, 3s2, 3p6, 3d7, 4s2 |
| Nickel (Ni) | 1s2, 2s2, 2p6, 3s2, 3p6, 3d8, 4s2 |
| Copper (Cu) | 1s2, 2s2, 2p6, 3s2, 3p6, 3d10, 4s1 |
| Zinc (Zn) | 1s2, 2s2, 2p6, 3s2, 3p6, 3d10, 4s2 |
These details will help you to understand the transition metals in a better manner and further enable you to delve deeper into the period table. You should also go through the electronic configuration of second series, third series and fourth series d block elements as it will help you to learn about a large set of elements in the d-block.
