By Emily Newton 
Our world is made primarily of metal. You encounter metals every single day, and chances are, the majority of the ones you encounter fall into the third category on the periodic table — the transition metals. What are transition metals, and where might you encounter them in your daily life?
First, what are transition metals? There are a lot of elements in this section. Transition metals consist of groups 3 through 12 on the periodic table. This makes up 38 elements in total. We’ll go into each element in detail in a moment. The transition metals include:
| Period 4 | Period 5 | Period 6 | Period 7 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scandium | Yttrium | Hafnium | Rutherfordium |
| Titanium | Zirconium | Tantalum | Dubnium |
| Vanadium | Niobium | Tungsten | Seaborgium |
| Chromium | Molybdenum | Rhenium | Bohrium |
| Manganese | Technetium | Osmium | Hassium |
| Iron | Ruthenium | Iridium | Meitnerium |
| Cobalt | Rhodium | Platinum | Darmstadtium |
| Nickel | Palladium | Gold | Roentgenium |
| Copper | Silver | Mercury | Copernicium |
| Zinc | Cadmium |
These metals are considered the transition or bridge between the main group elements on either side of the table. They create a bridge between the alkali metals and alkaline earth metals on the left side of the table — known as active metals — and the metals, semimetals and nonmetals on the right-hand side of the table.
They earned their moniker in 1921 when an English chemist named Charles Bury dubbed them the transition series of elements.
The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) defines these transition metals as “any element with a partially filled d-electron sub-shell.” Elements are divided into and defined by one of four different electron orbitals — designated s, p, d and f — and the latter three also have sub-levels or sub-shells that can hold even more electrons. The orbital designation helps chemists determine where each element falls on the periodic table.
As you move across the periodic table from left to right, these sub-shells become progressively more filled.
One unique property of these transition metals is the fact that they’re essential for biological life to function. Many of them, from iron and cobalt to copper and things like molybdenum, are necessary to keep us alive and healthy. Without enough iron in your bloodstream, your body can’t properly transport oxygen through your body. Other transition metals, like copper and cobalt, exist as trace elements in your body, and the full extent of their applications isn’t entirely understood.
There are two other categories — lanthanides and actinides — which reside at the bottom of the periodic table. People sometimes refer to them as the inner transition metals since their atomic numbers fall between the first and second elements on the last two rows of transition metals. However, we’ll get into those at a later date.
All these elements are metals, meaning they’re shiny in appearance, exhibiting the telltale metallic luster that defines them as metals. Most of them are very hard. They typically have melting and boiling points so high it’s nearly impossible to reach them. Almost all of them are good at conducting both heat and electricity, making them useful for a variety of applications.
They’re usually incredibly malleable, though some require very high temperatures to make them malleable enough to work with. Many of these metals, such as iron and copper, also have useful structural properties. They are able to bend and be reshaped without losing their structural integrity and strength. While you can take a piece of iron or copper and bend it back and forth over and over to weaken its bonds or cause it to break, under most applications, these metals retain their structural integrity regardless of their shape.
The most common use for the metals in periods 4, 5 and 6 is in alloys, which makes them incredibly versatile. Alloys are mixtures of two or more metals to make the finished product stronger, lighter or easier to work with.
These metals, on the atomic level, tend to lose electrons when bonding. This causes them to create positive ions.
These metals also often form colored complexes, which means that if you find them in different compounds or solutions, they might be very colorful. A few examples of this include malachite which is a bright green, azurite which usually appears as a brilliant blue and proustite which is a deep red.
Some of the metals in this category are reactive, but they don’t react nearly as quickly or as violently as those in the alkali metals category.
Their partially filled electron sub-shells also mean these metals can exhibit multiple different oxidation states, usually separated by a single electron. These varying oxidation states make most transition metals paramagnetic as well — they demonstrate weak magnetic attraction but won’t retain any sort of permanent magnetism. We say most, because there are at least three metals in this category that are considered ferrous, so they are magnetic and react strongly to magnetic fields.
Transition metals also demonstrate high catalytic activity. In other words, the elements in this section, as well as their compounds, act as good catalysts. They will either react with something, changing their oxidation state in the process, or they will absorb substances that sit on their surface, activating them. Catalysts work by creating catalytic pathways for a reaction to follow. These metals are more than happy to take on new electrons or donate the ones they already have to fuel these reactions.
Many of the transition metals are among the most abundant elements on Earth. Iron is the fourth most abundant. Titanium comes in 10th and manganese comes in 13th. Other transitional metals, like gold and silver, are also abundant, but they don’t rank nearly as high as those previously mentioned.
There are no official families for the members of the transition metals, but people often give them unofficial designations, especially for the most commonly used ones. Let’s take a look at the most common designations for transition metal groups and where you might encounter them in real life.
It can be hard to break down some of these elements because not all of them have common applications. Let’s look at some of the unofficial group designations for commonly used transition metals.
Ferrous metals are those that react with a magnetic field. It’s why you can stick a magnet to a steel refrigerator but not an aluminum car bumper. These metals include the following elements.
Iron is easily one of the most recognizable elements on the periodic table. Human beings have been using iron in its various forms for more than 5,000 years. We could write an entire article on just iron and its different uses. Here are a few applications you might encounter during your daily life.
Cobalt gets its name from the German word kobald, which refers to an underground gnome that likes to cause trouble. German miners named it after this mischievous little gnome because it’s incredibly difficult to mine. In its elemental form, cobalt is a brilliant blue color, but it also contains arsenic, making it incredibly toxic. What are some typical uses for cobalt?
Nickle is another metal that used to give miners fits. In the ground, it’s a copper lookalike, leading German miners to name it Kupfernickel, meaning “imp copper.” It may have been used in the coin that shares its name in the past, but there isn’t any nickel in those 5-cent pieces anymore.
As the name suggests, these metals were either used in coins in the past or are still used in currency today.
Does this metal need a description? We’ve used gold for coins and jewelry for centuries. The United States even used the gold standard to support its currency until the 1930s. The federal government maintains massive stores of gold bullion to this day. This metal is soft and malleable. You can hammer 1 troy ounce into a sheet that will stretch more than 68 square feet. You can shape gold into nearly anything. What are some common applications beyond jewelry and coins? Let’s take a look at its different applications.
Silver is another metal that is incredibly popular for both coins and jewelry. It isn’t as malleable as gold, but you can melt it down and cast it into nearly any shape. It also isn’t as valuable as gold because it’s more abundant, but that doesn’t stop it from being incredibly popular as an accessory. Here are some interesting ways we utilize silver.
When you think of copper, most people picture pennies, but it’s been a long time since the U.S. penny had any copper in it. Today, these 1-cent pieces are made from zinc with a thin coating of copper on the surface to retain the color. This turned out to be a good thing because there are so many different applications for copper that we couldn’t possibly list them all.
Alloy metals are essential to most modern construction simply because of their abundance and frequent use in contemporary projects. Eleven of them make up this group because they’re often found together in nature. Let’s take a brief look at these metals.
Titanium gets its name from the Titans of Greek mythology, which is due to its incredible strength. Miners discovered it in the 1700s but weren’t able to isolate and use it until 1910. Once they achieved this, it became useful for a range of applications.
Scientists found zirconium inside the mineral zircon, which is also where it got its name. Scientists discovered zirconium around the same time they found titanium, but they weren’t able to isolate it until the early 1900s.
The rest of the alloy metals don’t have a ton of applications, but we’ve listed a few for you. You probably won’t encounter these in your everyday life, but they have their own places within inorganic chemistry:
If you’ve handled something made of tungsten, you’ve likely encountered most of the alloy metals in one place, including some inner transition metals. However, without breaking it down into its components, it’s impossible to tell.
People call the members of this category “the zinc family” because they occupy the same group on the periodic table. However, they tend to demonstrate very different properties.
If you encounter zinc in your daily life, it will usually be in one of its many alloys or compounds. By itself, zinc is just a silver-white metal that oxidizes easily. When you alloy it with other metals, its possibilities are endless.
Cadmium dates back to 1817. A German scientist discovered cadmium hiding in molten calamine, which is another name for zinc carbonite. Cadmium and zinc are mined together, and most of the cadmium we use today is a byproduct of zinc mining.
Mercury is easily one of the most toxic elements in the world. It dates back thousands of years, found in ancient China and Egypt as far back as 2,000 B.C. Its melting point is minus 37 degrees Fahrenheit, so it’s almost always in liquid form. It does present some superconducting properties, but you need to chill it to nearly absolute zero to start seeing them.
People refer to the next group as the platinum group because they tend to appear together in nature. Not all of these metals have common applications, though.
Platinum might be a precious metal today, but miners used to consider it a nuisance. It often appeared in the same areas where miners would find gold, but at the time, there weren’t many uses for platinum. Today, this transition metal is coveted for various applications.
These two elements are almost always found together in nature. Iridium gets its name from its stunning multicolored hue. Both have very limited applications, so they fit together here nicely
The last three elements in the platinum family have very few applications, if any:
You’ve probably noticed there are still a few elements we haven’t mentioned from the ones listed above. These elements have no application in everyday life, and hopefully, you’ll never encounter them.
Scientists discovered scandium and yttrium in Scandinavia. Scandium has no known applications, and yttrium’s useful in alloys to add strength to other metals.
The rest of the transition metals don’t occur naturally. Other than technetium, created in a lab in 1936, all these elements have atomic numbers higher than that of uranium, earning them the name transuranium elements. You don’t want to encounter any of these elements — they’re all highly radioactive. Chances are you won’t, though — scientists can only create them in the lab, and once created, they only last a few minutes before they deteriorate.
Transition metals make up the whole middle part of the periodic table, and with 38 elements to choose from, you’ll probably encounter at least one of them in your everyday life. In fact, if you’re reading this on a phone, you’ve got copper, silver and possibly platinum right in your hand.
Transition metals are essential to many modern technologies, enabling advancements across industries while also influencing sustainability efforts worldwide. Their unique properties make them indispensable in creating innovative solutions for a greener and more efficient future.
As the world shifts toward more sustainable practices, transition metals play a crucial role in powering green technologies. Metals like cobalt and nickel are essential components of rechargeable batteries in electric vehicles (EVs), solar panels and wind turbines.
Cobalt, in particular, is a key element in lithium-ion batteries, which power everything from smartphones to electric cars. Similarly, nickel is widely used in nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries and is increasingly important in the development of solid-state batteries.
Beyond their role in energy storage, transition metals like titanium and copper are essential in constructing renewable energy infrastructure. Titanium, with its strength and resistance to corrosion, is used in wind turbine components, while copper’s electrical conductivity makes it indispensable in solar panel wiring and power transmission systems.
Transition metals also play a pivotal role in the emerging field of nanotechnology. Their unique ability to change oxidation states allows them to catalyze various chemical reactions at the nanoscale, making them highly effective in fields like drug delivery, environmental cleanup and material science.
For example, platinum and palladium nanoparticles are used as catalysts in hydrogenating organic compounds, crucial for the pharmaceutical industry. Another significant application is in green catalysis, where transition metals are used to accelerate environmentally friendly chemical reactions that reduce energy consumption or waste production.
Catalysts made from platinum, rhodium and palladium, for instance, are central to carbon capture and converting greenhouse gases into less harmful compounds. These advances are essential for reducing the environmental footprint of industrial processes.
The demand for metals has skyrocketed — particularly with the rise of electric vehicles, renewable energy systems and high-tech devices. However, this surge in demand raises critical concerns about the ethical and environmental implications of mining these valuable resources.
Cobalt mining is one such example. While cobalt is essential for rechargeable batteries, 80% of the global supply comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where mining practices have led to severe environmental degradation and human rights violations, including child labor.
As the world becomes more reliant on transition metals, industries must adopt responsible sourcing practices that prioritize environmental protection and human rights, ensuring these metals contribute to a more sustainable future without exacerbating existing problems.
With the increased demand for metals, recycling these valuable resources has become more critical than ever. Metals like gold, silver, and copper are highly recyclable and retain much of their original properties after being repurposed.
In fact, recycling these metals can significantly reduce the environmental impact associated with mining and extraction processes. Recycling lithium-ion batteries — which often contain cobalt, nickel and other transition metals — is an emerging field of great importance. Many companies are investing in technologies to improve battery recycling and make the process more efficient.
As the demand continues to rise, recycling these metals and repurposing old devices is becoming an essential part of a sustainable future, reducing the need for new mining and conserving precious resources.
The future of transition metals is as exciting as it is diverse. It is closely tied to innovations in computing, space exploration and other cutting-edge fields, with new research unlocking their potential in ways we can only begin to imagine.
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.