d and f BLOCK ELEMENTS

Why do successive ionisation enthalpies (second, third, etc.) for transition metals increase more gradually than for s-block elements?

• Transition metals have lower nuclear charges
• d-electrons provide less effective shielding for other d-electrons than s or p electrons do for electrons in the same shell
• The atomic radii of transition metals are smaller
• Transition metals lose electrons more easily

What is the relationship between the number of unpaired d-electrons and the strength of metallic bonding in transition metals?

• Fewer unpaired d-electrons lead to stronger metallic bonding
• More unpaired d-electrons lead to stronger metallic bonding
• There is no relationship
• The relationship is inverse for elements beyond the first transition series

How does the electronic configuration of transition metal ions (M2+) differ from that of the neutral atoms?

• M2+ ions have electrons only in the ns orbitals
• M2+ ions have no electrons in the ns orbitals, only in the (n-1)d orbitals
• M2+ ions have the same configuration as the neutral atom
• M2+ ions lose electrons from the (n-1)d orbitals first

What causes the general increase in first ionisation enthalpy across the 3d transition series?

• The decreasing atomic radius
• The increasing nuclear charge experienced by the outer electrons despite some shielding
• The increasing number of electron shells
• The decreasing shielding effect

Why does zinc have the lowest enthalpy of atomisation in the 3d series?

• It has the highest ionisation enthalpy
• It has a completely filled 3d subshell with no unpaired electrons for strong metallic bonding
• It has the largest atomic radius
• It forms only ionic bonds