Question 1

What is the highest possible oxidation state for molybdenum, Mo?
A) +2
B) +4
C) +6
D) +8
E) none of the above

Accepted Answer

Molybdenum can achieve a maximum oxidation state of +6, which is common in compounds like molybdenum trioxide (MoO3).

Question 2

Which of the following atoms has the biggest radius?
A) Ti
B) Cr
C) Fe
D) Ni
E) Zn

Accepted Answer

Titanium (Ti) has the largest atomic radius among the options given. Atomic size generally decreases across a period from left to right in the periodic table due to the increase in nuclear charge, which pulls the electrons closer to the nucleus. Since titanium is the furthest to the left among the options, it has the largest atomic radius.

Question 3

A certain transition element has the stable oxidation states of +2, +3, +4, +5, and +6. In which state will the element be most likely to form an ionic bond with chlorine?
A) +2
B) +3
C) +4
D) +5
E) +6

Accepted Answer

Ionic bonds are more likely to form when the metal ion has a lower oxidation state, as this typically involves the complete transfer of electrons from the metal to the non-metal (in this case, chlorine). In higher oxidation states, covalent or polar covalent bonding is more common due to the involvement of d-orbitals in bonding. Therefore, the +2 oxidation state is most likely to result in the formation of an ionic bond with chlorine.

Question 4

The most common oxidation state for ions of the inner transition elements is
A) +2.
B) +3.
C) +4.
D) +5.
E) +7.

Accepted Answer

The inner transition elements refer to the f-block elements, which have partially filled f-orbitals. These elements usually exhibit multiple oxidation states, but the most common oxidation state for their ions is typically +3. This is because the 3+ oxidation state corresponds to the loss of 3 electrons from the outermost f-orbital, resulting in a more stable configuration. While some inner transition elements like cerium and europium can also exhibit +4 oxidation states, +3 is still the most common. Therefore, the best choice is B.

Question 5

What is the highest possible oxidation state for palladium, Pd?
A) +1
B) +2
C) +3
D) +4
E) +6

Accepted Answer

Palladium has a maximum possible oxidation state of +4. This is because of its 4d shell, which can hold a maximum of 10 electrons. At the +4 oxidation state, all 10 electrons are removed from the 4d shell, leaving only the 5s and 5p orbitals, which are not involved in bonding.

Question 6

Which of the following ions is least likely to form colored compounds? A) Mn²⁺ B) Cr⁵⁺ C) Sc³⁺ D) Fe³⁺ E) Co²⁺

Accepted Answer

Scandium (Sc) is the only option that does not form colored compounds. This is because it has only one unpaired electron in its d-orbitals, which is not enough to promote any electrons to higher energy levels and cause absorption or emission of light in the visible range. The other options all have multiple unpaired electrons in their d-orbitals, which can lead to the formation of colored compounds.

Question 7

The most common oxidation state for ions of the transition elements is
A) +2.
B) +3.
C) +4.
D) +5.
E) +6.

Accepted Answer

The most common oxidation state for transition metal ions is +2. This is because these elements have two valence electrons that they lose to form cations. However, the transition metals can also exhibit other oxidation states due to their partially filled d-orbitals.

Question 8

Which of the following elements has the ground state electron configuration, [Xe]4f¹⁴5d¹⁰6s¹? A) Hg B) Ag C) Hf D) Au E) Th

Accepted Answer

The given electron configuration is a mix of actual notation and nonsensical placeholders. However, recognizing the pattern and correcting the placeholders, the configuration simplifies to [Xe]4f^14 5d^10 6s^1, which is the ground state electron configuration for gold (Au).

Question 9

Which of the following ions is most likely to form colored compounds? A) Sc³⁺ B) Cu⁺ C) Zn²⁺ D) Cr³⁺ E) Ca²⁺

Accepted Answer

Cr (chromium) is known for forming colored compounds due to its ability to undergo electronic transitions in its d-orbitals. This is often observed in the form of brightly colored compounds, such as chromium oxide (green), chromium sulfate (purple), and potassium dichromate (orange).

Question 10

A certain transition element has the stable oxidation states of +2, +3, +4, +5, and +6. In which state will the element be most likely to form a covalent bond with chlorine?
A) +2
B) +3
C) +4
D) +5
E) +6

Accepted Answer

Higher oxidation states, such as +6, are more likely to form covalent bonds due to the element's increased positive charge, which leads to a stronger attraction for the electrons of the chlorine, facilitating covalent bonding.

Question 11

Which of the following transition elements can have an oxidation number of +7?
A) V
B) Cr
C) Mn
D) Fe
E) Co

Accepted Answer

Mn can exhibit an oxidation state of +7 in compounds such as potassium permanganate (KMnO4) where it is bonded to four oxygen atoms. The other transition elements listed cannot exhibit an oxidation state of +7.

Question 12

How many unpaired electrons are there in the Fe³⁺ ion? A) 5 B) 4 C) 3 D) 2 E) 1

Accepted Answer

The Fe³⁺ ion is a misinterpretation of chemical notation. However, if we consider it as an attempt to describe an iron (Fe) ion, the most common oxidation states of iron are +2 and +3. In both cases, iron has unpaired electrons due to its electronic configuration. In the +2 state (Fe^2+), it has 4 unpaired electrons ([Ar] 3d^6), and in the +3 state (Fe^3+), it has 5 unpaired electrons ([Ar] 3d^5). Since the question seems to imply a specific ion without correctly specifying it, and considering the most common scenario where iron would have unpaired electrons, the closest answer would be 5, assuming it refers to an Fe^3+ ion with a [Ar] 3d^5 configuration.

Question 13

A feature of transition metal chemistry is that these elements exhibit multiple oxidation states. Which one of the following elements exhibits the smallest number of different oxidation states?
A) Ti
B) Cr
C) Mn
D) Co
E) Zn

Accepted Answer

Zn is not considered a transition metal because it only exhibits a +2 oxidation state. The other options all exhibit multiple oxidation states. Ti can exhibit +2, +3, and +4 oxidation states; Cr can exhibit +2, +3, +6 oxidation states; Mn can exhibit +2, +4, +7 oxidation states; Co can exhibit +2 and +3 oxidation states.

Question 14

Which of the following will be paramagnetic? A) V⁵⁺ B) Ni²⁺ C) Mn⁷⁺ D) Ti⁴⁺ E) Zn

Accepted Answer

Ni has unpaired electrons in its S1U1P12 orbital, making it paramagnetic.

All other options either have no unpaired electrons (A, D, E) or have all electrons paired (C).

Question 15

Which of the following transition elements can achieve the largest oxidation number?
A) chromium, Cr, Group 6B(6)
B) manganese, Mn, Group 7B(7)
C) iron, Fe, Group 8B(8)
D) cobalt, Co, Group 8B(9)
E) zinc, Zn, Group 2B(12)

Accepted Answer

Manganese (Mn) has the largest number of unpaired electrons in its valence shell, which allows it to achieve higher oxidation states.

Question 16

The ground state electronic configuration of Cr²⁺ is A) [Ar]4s¹3d⁵. B) [Ar]4s²3d⁴. C) [Ar]3d⁴. D) [Ar]4s¹3d³. E) [Ar]4s²3d².

Accepted Answer

The answer of The ground state electronic configuration of Cr²⁺...

Question 17

The ground state electronic configuration of Zn²⁺ is A) [Ar]4s²3d⁸. B) [Ar]4s²3d¹⁰. C) [Ar]4s¹3d⁹. D) [Ar]3d¹⁰. E) [Ar]3d⁸.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The ground state electronic configuration of Zn²⁺...

Question 18

Which of the following will be diamagnetic? A) Ni²⁺ B) Cr²⁺ C) Mn²⁺ D) Co³⁺ E) Ti⁴⁺

Accepted Answer

Ti has 4 valence electrons in the 3d orbital and 2 in the 4s orbital, which leads to the configuration of [Ar] 3d2 4s2. Since all the valence electrons are paired in the d orbital, Ti is diamagnetic.

Question 19

If M represents a transition element, which of the following oxides should be the least basic? A) MO B) M₂O C) M₂O₃ D) MO₂ E) MO₃

Accepted Answer

The basicity of transition metal oxides decreases as the oxidation state of the metal increases. MO2 has the highest oxidation state among the given options, making it the least basic.

Question 20

Which one of the following has the ground state electron configuration [Ar]3d¹⁰4s¹? A) In⁺ B) Cd²⁺ C) Ag⁺ D) Ag E) Cu

Accepted Answer

The electron configuration given has completely filled d-orbitals and a partially filled s-orbital. This is characteristic of copper (Cu) which has the electron configuration [Ar]3d10 4s1 in the ground state. None of the other choices have this electron configuration.

Quiz 23: The Transition Elements and Their Coordination Compounds

What is the highest possible oxidation state for molybdenum, Mo?

Which of the following atoms has the biggest radius?

A certain transition element has the stable oxidation states of +2, +3, +4, +5, and +6. In which state will the element be most likely to form an ionic bond with chlorine?

The most common oxidation state for ions of the inner transition elements is

What is the highest possible oxidation state for palladium, Pd?

Which of the following ions is least likely to form colored compounds?

The most common oxidation state for ions of the transition elements is

Which of the following elements has the ground state electron configuration, [Xe]4f145d106s1?

Which of the following ions is most likely to form colored compounds?

A certain transition element has the stable oxidation states of +2, +3, +4, +5, and +6. In which state will the element be most likely to form a covalent bond with chlorine?

Which of the following transition elements can have an oxidation number of +7?

How many unpaired electrons are there in the Fe3+ ion?

A feature of transition metal chemistry is that these elements exhibit multiple oxidation states. Which one of the following elements exhibits the smallest number of different oxidation states?

Which of the following will be paramagnetic?

Which of the following transition elements can achieve the largest oxidation number?

The ground state electronic configuration of Cr2+ is

The ground state electronic configuration of Zn2+ is

Which of the following will be diamagnetic?

If M represents a transition element, which of the following oxides should be the least basic?

Which one of the following has the ground state electron configuration [Ar]3d104s1?

Which of the following elements has the ground state electron configuration, [Xe]4f¹⁴5d¹⁰6s¹?

How many unpaired electrons are there in the Fe³⁺ ion?

The ground state electronic configuration of Cr²⁺ is

The ground state electronic configuration of Zn²⁺ is

Which one of the following has the ground state electron configuration [Ar]3d¹⁰4s¹?