alleryStart learning →When transition metals ionise, the electrons removed first come from the:
AInnermost s orbital
BOutermost f orbital
COutermost s orbital
DNext-to-outer d orbital
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. Outermost s orbital
1. The d orbitals of the transition elements are the last to fill under the Aufbau principle.
2. Filling order and emptying order are not the same, though.
3. The outermost s electrons are the first to be lost when these atoms ionise.
4. Most transition metal cations have 2 plus or 3 plus charges from losing the outermost s electrons first, sometimes followed by one or two d electrons.
_Source: OpenStax Chemistry 2e (CC BY 4.0), Ch 7 'Chemical Bonding and Molecular Geometry', sections 7.1-7.6_
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