

Magnetic Properties of Transition Elements - Properties of d-block Elements and Trends
The entire arrangement of inorganic chemical elements is generally distributed into non-metallic and metals. Depending upon the certainty that elements have positive and negative ions which help in determining the non-metal and metals. The category of metals belongs to the elements with positive ions while the category of non-metals belongs to the elements with negative ions. In the oxidation stage, some of the elements do not compromise the whole electronic configuration. These elements are generally called Transition Elements and they belong to d-block elements. Magnetic behavior is shown by several substances. These substances include paramagnetic, ferromagnetic, and diamagnetic substances.
Transition Elements
We come into contact with transition metals every day. Consider elemental iron. Iron is used in a variety of applications such as ships, buildings and cutlery. Some important Transition Element compounds are used in a similar way in our daily lives. A Transition Element can be defined as an element containing a dobital that is partially filled with its atom or simple ion. The d- block elements in groups 3 to 11 are called Transition Elements. Internal transition metals such as lanthanides and actinides are aliases for f-block elements.
Transition metals react with non-metals such as oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, halogens, sulfur and carbon to form binary compounds. Some of these compounds are very important in the industry.
Magnetic Properties
An electron is a negatively charged particle that rotates around its nucleus and around its own axis. A magnetic field is generated by orbital motion and electron spin. Rotating an electron in orbit is very similar to passing an electric current in a closed circuit. Therefore, unpaired electrons are considered to be micromagnets with a specific magnetic moment. Matter containing unpaired electrons in the magnetic field interacts with the applied magnetic field. As a result, attractive force acts and paramagnetism is exhibited. The number of unpaired electrons determines the magnitude of the magnetic moment. As the number of unpaired electrons increases, the magnetic moment increases and the paramagnetic behavior of the substance increases.
For pairs of electrons, each pair of electrons has opposite spins. The magnetic fields generated by the same pair of electrons are equal and opposite. Therefore, the magnetic field generated by one electron is canceled by the other electron. Therefore, the net effect of the magnetic moment is Zero. These types of materials are diamagnetic and are repelled by the applied magnetic field.
Trends of the d- block, Elements (Transition Elements)
The magnetic moment increases from 1 to 5 as soon as the unpaired electron numbers increase from 1 to 5. They will reach the verge of decreased diamagnetic and increased paramagnetic as a result.
The diamagnetic substances are those paired electrons that do not get attracted to a magnetic field. These d-block elements (Transition Elements) have paired electrons in (n-1) d elements.
Some metals contain permanent paramagnetic as they have high paramagnet. Therefore, these d-block elements (Transition Elements) are referred to as ferromagnetism. Cobalt and nickel are some of the best examples of ferromagnetism.
Magnetic Properties of d-block Elements
The magnetic properties of DBlock elements are determined by the number of unpaired electrons contained in them. There are two basic types of substances- Paramagnetic and Diamagnetic.
Paramagnetic that is attracted to the magnetic field. This event is known as paramagnetism. On the other hand, there is also a substance called a diamagnetic substance that is repelled by a magnetic field. If a substance contains only a pair of electrons, the substance is diamagnetic.
Paramagnetic Substances
Paramagnetism is experienced only when a substance contains one or more unpaired electrons. A material that is influenced by a magnetic field applied from the outside and forms a magnetic field induced from the inside in the path of the applied magnetic field. Paramagnetic properties occur in consideration of the proximity of unpaired electrons. Paramagnetic substances are substances that are attracted by a magnetic field. When a substance takes an eternal magnetic moment, it is called ferromagnetism, and its generation is called ferromagnetism.
Diamagnetic Substances
Diamagnetism results from the lack of unpaired electrons. Diamagnetic substances are substances that are repelled by magnetic fields.
A substance that creates an induced magnetic field with respect to an externally applied magnetic field and, as a result, is repelled by the applied magnetic field. Diamagnetism occurs as a result of the absence of unpaired electrons. Most Transition Elements are paramagnetic in nature.
Magnetic Properties of Complexes of Transition Metals
The number of unpaired electrons present in the outermost cells will help in predicting the magnetic property of the element. An essential role is played by the atomic size and electronic configuration. Electronic spin can help in achieving the magnetism of any of the compounds and determination of the fact that to what extent the compound is magnetized by the number of unpaired electrons.
To yield the magnets is the interesting fact of the compound. Magnetic behavior is adopted by metal complexes because they have unpaired electrons. The quantum number is used to represent the spin of each electron which is represented as +½ or -½ respectively. Because the electrons are coupled to each other, the spin has a flat effect. A weak magnetic field is created in the case if each of these electrons gets unpaired or single. The paramagnetic effect increases due to the availability of a single electron.
Magnetic Properties of 3d Series Transition Elements
High boiling and melting points are achieved by the Transition Elements.
Due to the presence of color ions, chemical organic complexes and coloured compounds are formed by these elements.
Rather than having paramagnetic behavior, these elements have paramagnetic behavior.
In the outermost shell of the Transition Elements, these elements have various valencies due to which they show various oxidation stages.
Magnetic Properties of First Transition Series
The 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th group of the periodic table consists of the elements of the first transition series. Due to internal d-d transfers, this series consists of a coloured compound effect. Certain theories conclude magnetic properties. These theories include quantum mechanics, Lenz's curie.
FAQs on Magnetic Properties of Transition Elements
1. What are the main types of magnetic properties exhibited by transition elements?
Transition elements primarily exhibit three types of magnetic properties based on their response to an external magnetic field:
- Paramagnetism: This is the most common property, where substances are weakly attracted to a magnetic field. It arises due to the presence of one or more unpaired electrons in the d-orbitals.
- Diamagnetism: This property is shown by substances that are weakly repelled by a magnetic field. It occurs when all electrons in the d-orbitals are paired, causing their magnetic moments to cancel each other out.
- Ferromagnetism: This is an extreme form of paramagnetism where substances are very strongly attracted to a magnetic field and can be permanently magnetised. Elements like Iron (Fe), Cobalt (Co), and Nickel (Ni) are well-known examples.
2. How can we determine the magnetic nature of a transition element or its ion?
The magnetic nature of a transition element or its ion is determined by examining its electronic configuration. The key is to identify the number of unpaired electrons in the (n-1)d orbitals. The process is as follows:
- First, write the electronic configuration of the atom or ion in question.
- Check the d-orbitals for the number of electrons.
- If there are unpaired electrons, the substance will be paramagnetic.
- If all electrons are paired, the substance will be diamagnetic. The more unpaired electrons present, the stronger the paramagnetic character.
3. Why are most transition elements paramagnetic?
Most transition elements are paramagnetic because their atoms or ions contain partially filled d-orbitals. According to Hund's rule, electrons fill orbitals singly before pairing up. This results in one or more unpaired electrons. Each unpaired electron acts like a tiny magnet due to its spin and orbital angular momentum. When an external magnetic field is applied, these individual magnetic moments align with the field, causing a net attraction. Since having a partially filled d-subshell is the defining characteristic of transition elements, most of them naturally exhibit paramagnetism.
4. What is the fundamental difference between diamagnetism and paramagnetism?
The fundamental difference lies in the presence or absence of unpaired electrons and the substance's resulting interaction with a magnetic field:
- Origin: Paramagnetism is caused by the presence of unpaired electrons, while diamagnetism is a property of substances with only paired electrons.
- Interaction with Magnetic Field: Paramagnetic materials are weakly attracted to an external magnetic field. In contrast, diamagnetic materials are weakly repelled by it.
- Magnetic Moment: Paramagnetic substances have a net magnetic moment, whereas the magnetic moment is zero in diamagnetic substances because the spin of paired electrons cancels out.
5. Why is an element like Zinc (Zn) considered diamagnetic, while Copper (Cu) can be paramagnetic?
This difference is explained by their electronic configurations in their common ionic states. Zinc in its stable Zn2+ state has an electronic configuration of [Ar] 3d10. Here, the d-orbital is completely filled, meaning there are no unpaired electrons. Consequently, Zn2+ compounds are diamagnetic.
On the other hand, Copper in its Cu2+ state has an electronic configuration of [Ar] 3d9. This configuration has one unpaired electron in the d-orbital, making Cu2+ compounds paramagnetic.
6. How is the magnetic moment of a transition metal ion calculated?
The magnetic moment for transition metal ions is calculated primarily using the 'spin-only' formula, as the contribution from orbital motion is often negligible. The formula is:
μ = √n(n + 2) BM
Where:
- μ is the magnetic moment.
- n is the number of unpaired electrons.
- BM stands for Bohr Magneton, the unit of magnetic moment.
By determining 'n' from the electronic configuration, you can directly calculate the theoretical magnetic moment.
7. What is ferromagnetism, and how does it relate to the paramagnetism found in transition elements?
Ferromagnetism can be considered an extreme and ordered form of paramagnetism. While paramagnetism involves the weak, random alignment of unpaired electrons in a magnetic field, ferromagnetism involves the spontaneous alignment of magnetic moments of a large number of ions in the same direction, even without an external magnetic field. This occurs in solid-state domains where ions like Fe, Co, and Ni interact strongly with each other. This cooperative effect results in a very strong attraction to magnetic fields and the ability to form permanent magnets, a property not seen in simple paramagnetic substances.

















