Why Zine is not regarded as a transition element ?

Why Zine is not regarded as a transition element ?

Ans.

Zinc is not considered a transition element due to its electronic configuration and the properties it exhibits compared to transition metals.

Transition metals are defined as elements that have incompletely filled d-orbitals in their atomic or ionic states. These d-orbitals are involved in chemical bonding and give rise to many of the characteristic properties of transition elements, such as variable oxidation states, the formation of colored compounds, and the ability to form complex ions.

Zinc, however, has a full 3�103d10 electronic configuration in its ground state. Its electronic configuration is [Ar] 3�103d10 4�24s2. The $3d$ orbitals are completely filled, and zinc does not have any partially filled $d$ orbitals in its common oxidation states. As a result, zinc does not exhibit many of the typical properties associated with transition elements, such as variable oxidation states or the ability to form complex ions.

Furthermore, zinc generally forms compounds in which it exhibits a $+2$ oxidation state, which is stable due to the full 3�103d10 configuration. It does not readily form ions with other oxidation states or complex ions, which are common characteristics of transition metals.

Therefore, zinc is not classified as a transition element, despite being located in the d-block of the periodic table. It is often considered a post-transition metal due to its properties and behavior.