The Transition Metals

1. Circle any metals in the list below which are in the transition series…

copper aluminium dysprosium molybdenum germanium

protactinium rhodium rhenium osmium

strontium iridium palladium ytterbium

silver holmium zirconium cadmium mercury

2. What are the typical properties of the transition metals?

3. Give the names and symbols of five transition metals not listed in question 1.

4. Define thermal decomposition.

5. Transition metal carbonates undergo thermal decomposition reactions.

a) What is the gas given off when a carbonate undergoes thermal decomposition?

b) How would you test for this gas?

c) A gas being given off is one sign of a chemical reaction – what else happens
when a metal carbonate decomposes that indicates that a reaction has occurred?

d) Write a general word equation for the thermal decomposition of a transition

metal carbonate.

e) Write a symbol equation for the thermal decomposition of:

i) iron carbonate

ii) copper carbonate

iii) manganese carbonate

iv) zinc carbonate

6. Transition metals and their compounds can be used as catalysts.

a) What is a catalyst? (Two features)

b) Give two examples of a transition metal acting as a catalyst: what are the metals
and what are the reactions they catalyse?
 1.

2.
7. What are the products of the reaction between:

a) nickel sulphate and sodium hydroxide?

b) iron (II) chloride and sodium hydroxide?

c) copper sulphate and sodium hydroxide?

8. In the question above, underline the precipitate for each reaction.

9. Identify the following cations:

a) Forms a grey-green solid when reacted with sodium hydroxide

b) Reacts with sodium hydroxide to form a blue precipitate

c) Forms orange gelatinous Fe(OH)3 when reacted with sodium hydroxide

10. What colour are solutions of compounds of the following (usually)?

a) copper (II)

b) nickel

c) iron (III)

d) iron (II)

11. Give three differences between iron (II) and iron (III).
1.
2.
3.

12. Write a balanced symbol equation for the following reactions:

a) copper carbonate decomposes to form copper oxide and carbon dioxide

b) iron (II) chloride reacts with sodium hydroxide to form iron (II) hydroxide and
sodium chloride

c) iron (III) forms an orange precipitate of iron (III) hydroxide when reacted with
sodium hydroxide

d) manganese oxide and carbon dioxide form when manganese carbonate is heated

13. In the question above, underline precipitation reactions in blue and thermal
decompositions in red.