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Write Brief Answer · Q27

Q.Transition metals show high melting points why?

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Step 1. Recall that transition metals are, in general, hard solids (except the group-11 metals) that crystallise in close-packed lattice structures (HCP, FCC or BCC), the classic structural signature of strong metallic bonding.

Step 2. The strength of this metallic bonding in transition metals is unusually high because BOTH the outer ns electrons AND the (n-1)d electrons participate in the delocalised metallic bonding -- unlike, say, an s-block metal, where only the single or double ns valence electron(s) contribute.

Step 3. Moving across a series, melting point first RISES as the number of UNPAIRED d electrons available for this metallic bonding increases -- more unpaired d electrons mean more overlap/bonding interactions between neighbouring atoms, strengthening the lattice and raising the melting point. …

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