Superconductors and transition metals

• Normally most metals have electrical resistance which means that whenever electricity flows through them they will heat up...therefore, wasting electrical energy (as heat).
• But if you make some of the metals cold they lose this property and become superconductors.
• This means none of the electrical energy is wasted through heat.
• One can easily start a current flow through a superconducting circuit where when you take off the battery the current flow on forever.

Advantages

• Using superconducting wires you can make power cables that transmit electricity without losing it.
• Strong electromagnets
• Electronic circuits

Disadvantges

• It is hard and expensive to get a metal cold as -265 C
• Scientists have a long way to go to find a metal or a metal oxide less than -135 C. But, yes research is going on...

They are found in the middle of the periodic table.

They have properties which are similar to metal properties.

Examples of transition metals: copper, zinc, gold, silver, platinum...

Transition metals and compounds make good catalysts

For example

• Iron is the catalyst used in the haber process for making ammonia.
• Nickel is useful for the hydrogenation of alkenes...(to make margarine).

Iron (II) compounds are light green

Iron (III) compounds are orange/ brown

Copper compounds are often blue.

They are colourful because of the transition metal ion that it contains.