Hello,
I have a question regarding the valence electrons of transition metals. I am aware of quantum numbers etc and how the s orbital gets filled before the d orbital but my question is that is if was asked to lets say group some elements according to their valence electrons,and among those elements there was lets say Zr, would I consider Zr to have only two valence electrons, or would I also count the electrons in the d sub shell.
Thanks
Counting the outside electrons is the way we identify the valence electrons in main group elements; however, as you point out, this is not without its problem for transition elements. For those elements, we count the electrons outside the lower core inert element. Here is a site on wikipedia that explains exactly how this works. The example given is for Mn; therefore, instead of two for the 4s2 electrons, we count the two for the 4s2 as well as the 5 in the 3d5 orbitals to make a total of seven valence electrons.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valence_electron
Hello! When it comes to determining the valence electrons of transition metals, it's important to consider the specific context and purpose of the question.
Traditionally, valence electrons refer to the electrons in the outermost s and p orbitals of an atom, as they are the ones involved in bonding and chemical reactions. Following this definition, elements in the transition metals group are often considered to have a fixed valence of 2, as the outermost s orbital is filled before the d orbitals. So, in the case of Zirconium (Zr), it would have 2 valence electrons based on this convention.
However, it's worth noting that some situations or questions may require a broader understanding of valence electrons. In some chemical reactions, transition metals can also utilize their d orbitals to bond and form compounds, so the electrons in the d orbitals become relevant. In those cases, the valence electrons of a transition metal would include both the outermost s electrons and the d electrons.
In summary, if you are specifically asked to group elements based on their valence electrons, then you would typically consider the outermost s electrons only for transition metals like Zirconium. However, if the question or context suggests a broader understanding of valence electrons, it might be necessary to include the d electrons as well. It's important to carefully analyze the question and the intended purpose to determine the most appropriate interpretation.