Valence Electrons for Transition Metals

[Ellis Song 4I]

How do you determine the number of valence electrons for transition metals?

[JonathanS 1H]

The same way you would any other atom. It helps to write out the e- configurations in order to do this, and the valence e- will be the number of e- in the outermost layer. Most transition metals have 2 valence e-.

[Emma Joy Schaetz 1E]

The same way you would any other atom. It helps to write out the e- configurations in order to do this, and the valence e- will be the number of e- in the outermost layer. Most transition metals have 2 valence e-.

Is this because the d orbital tends to fill either halfway or completely full?

[Daniel Chen 2L]

I don't think the d-orbital counts as an orbital which has valence electrons? Typically valence electrons are in the s and p-orbitals, which is why the transitions metals will have their valence electrons in the s-orbitals (2 e-).

[JonathanS 1H]

The same way you would any other atom. It helps to write out the e- configurations in order to do this, and the valence e- will be the number of e- in the outermost layer. Most transition metals have 2 valence e-.

Is this because the d orbital tends to fill either halfway or completely full?

Most have 2 valence electrons because of the p orbitals in the shell of their period number fill up before the d orbitals. The exceptions to this are groups 6 and 11 because they use one of the p electrons to fill/half fill the d orbitals.