Which of the following are true about transition metal elements ?

Question

Which of the following are true about transition metal elements ?


(a) As the atomic number increases for d-block transition elements, electrons are added to outer s and p orbitals

(b) Metals in high oxidation states tend to be good oxidizing agents

(c) A common oxidation state of scandium is +2

(d) Going across a period the atomic radii does not change a great deal.

(e) As the atomic number increases for the lanthanides and actinides transition metal elements,
electrons are added to an inner f orbital.

Answer 1

As I wrote to rasterbation1 yesterday (he had the same questions, excepting he had vanadium with +4),

D and E are generally true. Spend a little time at www.webelements.com, a really good site for chemistry buffs, and you'll agree. A is mostly untrue, as it's the d orbitals that are generally being added to. I don't know about B- I generally don't think of transition metals as oxidizing agents, a label I tend to pin on oxygen, or chlorine, etc, which are not transition metals. Yet I suppose they could be, depending on what you call "good". C is not true, as the most common valence for scandium is 3. Again, see webelements.

Answer 2

Answer e makes the most sense. They are the only series that have f electrons being filled.

Answer 3

e?