Copper is a common transition metal.
From the iron in your red blood cells to the copper wiring in your gadgets, transition metals play an endless variety of essential roles in human society. There is no "one-size-fits all" chemical test to identify transition metals; however, there are certain properties they have in common. Transition metals are good conductors of both heat and electricity and they can assume one of multiple oxidation states -- iron, for example, forms some compounds where it's in a +2 oxidation state and others where it's +3. If you know an element's name and properties, you can determine whether it's a transition metal based on its position on the periodic table.
Instructions
1. Find your element on the periodic table.
2. Count how many columns the element is away from the left edge of the table. Include the column containing the element when you're counting. If your element is nickel, for example, it's in column 10, whereas if your element is titanium, it's in column 4.
3. Determine whether your element is a transition metal as follows.
If the element is anywhere in columns 3 through 12, it is a transition metal.
If the element is anywhere else on the periodic table, it is not a transition metal.
Tags: transition metal, your element, periodic table, element anywhere, transition metals