Transition metal

Most metals in the periodic table are transition metals. They occupy its central block and have a recognisable set of typical properties. Iron is a useful example because it shows how physical properties of a metal connect with the chemical behaviour of its compounds.

The transition metals occupy the central block of the Periodic Table, between Groups 2 and 3 in the usual school layout. Iron and copper are familiar examples. They are metals, so they conduct electricity and heat, but their properties are not the same as those of the Group 1 metals at the far left of the table.

Copper, iron, chromium, silver and gold are transition metals, found in the central block of the periodic table. Unlike Group 1 or Group 7, the transition metals do not show one simple set of group trends. Instead, they form a family whose members share several general properties.