Exams › JEE Advanced › Chemistry

Regarding the d-block (transition) metals, which one of the following statements is INCORRECT?

1. Compounds containing ions of transition elements are generally coloured
2. Among the 3d-series elements, zinc has the lowest melting point
3. They display variable oxidation states that always differ from one another by exactly two units
4. They readily form complex compounds

Correct answer: They display variable oxidation states that always differ from one another by exactly two units

Solution

Transition metals show variable oxidation states that typically differ by ONE unit (e.g. Fe2+/Fe3+, Mn shows +2,+3,+4,+6,+7), not by two units only. Differences of two units are characteristic of many p-block elements (inert pair effect). The other three statements are correct: partially filled d-orbitals allow d-d transitions giving colour; Zn (3d10 4s2, no unpaired d-electrons / no d-bonding) has the lowest melting point in the 3d series; and small, highly charged ions with vacant d-orbitals readily form complexes.

Related JEE Advanced Chemistry questions

• The count of d-electrons in Fe2+ differs from the number of:
• Which sequence of reactions accurately depicts the chemical processes involving iron and its associated compounds?
• When H2S interacts with an acidic solution of K2Cr2O7, which of the following compounds is not produced?
• When an excess amount of sodium thiosulfate is combined with copper sulfate in water, the resulting product is:
• Among the given lanthanoid ions, which one exhibits diamagnetic behavior? (Atomic numbers: Ce = 58, Sm = 62, Eu = 63, Yb = 70)
• Which of these statements is accurate?

⚔️ Practice JEE Advanced Chemistry free + battle 1v1 →