D and F Block Elements: Properties, Lanthanides & Actinides

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D and F block elements are elements found in the third through twelfth groups of the modern periodic table. The valence electrons of these elements are in the d orbital.

D-Block elements are sometimes known as transition elements or transition metals.
The 3d, 4d, and 5d orbitals are represented by the first three rows of d block components, respectively.
Lanthanoids and actinoids are the two F-Block element series.
The inner transition metals create a transition between the s and d blocks of the modern periodic table.
The transition takes place in the sixth and seventh rows of the periodic table.
D and F block elements are derived from the spectroscopic notation.
They have an electronic configuration of (n-1)d^1-10ns^1-2 and (n-1)f^1-14(n-1)d ^1-2ns².

Table of Content

D-Block Elements
F-Block Elements
Characteristics of Lanthanide Series
Characteristics of Actinides Series
Applications of d and f block elements
Things to Remember
Previous Year Questions
Sample Questions

Key Terms: D-Block elements, F-Block elements, D and F block elements, Lanthanides, Actinides, Transition Series, Orbital, Tensile Strength, Conductivity, Electron

D-Block Elements

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The elements of the D-Block generally contain the elements with electrons (1 to 10) present in the d-orbital of their last-second outer shell. The outermost 's' orbital contains one or two electrons only.

The orbitals of the D-Block elements are not filled with electrons.
They are similar to the groups preceding them and are classified into the D-Block.
The elements can be distinguished as the metallic elements.
They have lustre, malleability, and higher electrical conductivity values.
Flexibility, good tensile strength, and high thermal conductivity are properties of D-Block elements.
There are four series in the d block, with either three, four, five or six electrons.
D-Block elements cover columns 3 to 12.
It may include elements with filled 'd' orbitals.
IUPAC defines a transition metal as "an element whose atom or cations have a partly filled d sub-shell."

D Block Elements

The elements present in each series of the D-Block are as follows:

First Transition Series

The elements included in the first transition series are as follows: Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn. They are also known as 3d elements.

Second Transition Series

The elements included in the second transition series are as follows: Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, and Cd. They are also known as 4d elements.

Third Transition Series

The elements included in the third transition series are as follows: La, Hf, Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir, Pt, Au, and Hg. They are also known as 5d elements.

Fourth Transition Series

There are currently no elements included in the fourth transition series as they are unfinished. They are also known as 6d elements.

Transition Elements

Transition elements are those elements that are partially filled with D-Block elements. Groups that transition elements occupy start at four and end at 11. Scandium and yttrium from group 3 are transition elements because they have a partly filled d subshell in the metallic phase.

Elements in the 12^th column of the D-Block, such as Zn, Cd, and Hg, have completely filled d-orbitals.
They are not regarded as transition elements.
They are named after their placement and transfer of characteristics across s and p block elements.
As a result, all elements are d block elements, but not all d block elements are transition metals.

Electronic Configuration of the D-Block elements

The general electronic configuration of D-Block elements is (n-1)d^1-10ns^1-2. These components can achieve stability in both partially and completely filled d orbitals.

Example of Electronic Configuration of the D-Block elements

Example 1: Consider the electrical configuration of chromium, which contains half-filled d and s orbitals - 3d⁵4s¹.

Example 2: Another instance is the electrical configuration of copper. Copper has an electrical configuration of 3d¹⁰4s¹ rather than 3d⁹4s². This is due to the greater stability of the filled d orbital. Zinc, Mercury, Cadmium, and Copernicium have filled orbitals in both their ground and generalized oxidation states

Some elements Electronic Configuration of the D-Block elements are as follows:

1^st Transition Series	Sc	Ti	V	Cr	Mn	Fe	Co	Ni	Cu	Zn
1^st Transition Series		4s²3d¹	4s²3d²	4s²3d³	4s¹3d⁵	4s²3d⁵	4s²3d⁶	4s²3d⁷	4s²3d⁸	4s¹3d¹⁰	4s²3d¹⁰
2^nd Transition Series	Y	Zr	Nb	Mo	Tc	Ru	Rh	Pd	Ag	Cd
2^nd Transition Series	5s²4d¹	5s²4d²	5s¹4d⁴	5s¹4d⁵	5s²4d⁵	5s¹4d⁷	5s¹4d⁸	5s⁰4d¹⁰	5s¹4d¹⁰	5s²4d¹⁰
3^rd Transition Series	La	Hf	Ta	W	Re	Os	Ir	Pt	Au	Hg
3^rd Transition Series	6s²5d¹	6s²5d²	6s²5d³	6s²5d⁴	6s²5d⁵	6s²5d⁶	6s²5d⁷	6s¹5d⁹	6s¹5d¹⁰	6s²5d¹⁰

Ionic and Atomic Radii of D-Block Elements

The importance about atomic and ionic radii is given as follows:

Ionic and atomic radii reduce considerably from column 3 to column 6.
It remains steady from columns 7 to 10
The radii begin to climb from columns 11 to 12.
The higher decline in atomic radii in columns 3 to 6 is due to an increase in effective nuclear charge.
Elements from columns 7 to 10 increased effectively due to the nuclear charge, which is countered by repelling force.
The d orbital in column elements 11 and 12 contains 10 electrons that safeguard the electrons in the higher s-orbital.
As a result, the components in groups 11 and 12 are larger than those in previous blocks.

Example of Ionic and atomic radii of D-Block elements

Example: In the first transition series, atomic radii, the fall is larger from Sc to Cr (groups 3 to 6), almost the same for Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni (groups 7, 8, 9, and 10), and increases in Cu and Zn.

Ionization Energy of D-Block Elements

Ionization energy is defined as the energy required to remove the valence electron from the atom/ion. It is proportional to the force of attraction on the electron. Hence, greater ionization energy (IE) is due to the effects of the greater nuclear charge and the small electron radii.

Ionization Energy will be higher for half-filled and completely filled orbitals.
The energy of the d block components is more than that of the s-block elements.
It is less than that of the p-block elements between which they are located.
The results are different for chromium and copper, the first series of ionization
Energy involves the extraction from a filled s-orbital.
The ionization energy of d block elements increases with the increasing atomic number up to Fe.

D and F Block Elements

Melting and Boiling point of the D-Block Elements

In addition to metallic bonding by s-electrons, lone electrons and vacant or partially full d-orbitals produce covalent bonds. Due to their strong bonding, d-block components have higher melting and boiling temperatures than the preceding s and p-block elements.

This trend continues until the d⁵configuration declines as more electrons couple in the d-orbital.
At room temperature, mercury is the only element that occurs in liquid form.
Mercury's 6s valence electrons are more firmly drawn by the nucleus (lanthanide contraction).
It results in a reduction of outermost s-electrons in metallic bonding.

Catalytic Activity of D-Block Elements

The reasons why most transition elements operate as good catalysts are as follows:

D-Block elements have flaws in their crystal structures.
They have the tendency to have varied oxidation states.
The existence of unoccupied d-orbitals.
Vacant orbitals may engage with the reactant molecules.
The propensity of reactants to create reaction intermediaries.
Various oxidation levels may interact directly via a redox reaction.
It provides a large surface area for absorbing and adequate time to respond.

Read More:

Related Concepts
Chlorine	Hydrogen Chloride	Group 18 Elements
Ammonium acetate	Actinoids	Actinium

F-Block Elements

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F-block elements are elements with an electron-filled f orbital. These elements have electrons (1 to 14) in the f orbital, (0 to 1) in the penultimate energy level's d orbital, and (0 to 1) in the outermost energy level's orbital.

The F-block is separated into two series corresponding to the 4f and 5f orbitals filling, respectively.
The elements are in the 4f series from Ce to Lu and in the 5f series from Th to Lw.
Each series comprises 14 components that fit into the 'f' orbital.
The periodic table's F-block elements are listed separately at the bottom.
They are a hybrid of the sixth and seventh centuries.

Types of F-Block Elements

The F-block components are further categorized as follows:

Lanthanides

Lanthanides are the first series of elements with atomic numbers ranging from 57 to 71. These materials are not radioactive (except for Promethium, which is radioactive).

Atomic number	Symbol	Name	Electronic configuration
58	Ce	Cerium	[Xe] 4f¹ 5d¹ 6s²
59	Pr	Praseodymium	[Xe] 4f³6s²
60	Nd	Neodymium	[Xe] 4f⁴ 6s²
61	Pm	Promethium	[Xe] 4f⁵ 6s²
62	Sm	Samarium	[Xe] 4f⁶ 6s²
63	Eu	Europium	[Xe] 4f⁷ 6s²
64	Gd	Gadolinium	[Xe] 4f⁷ 5d¹ 6s²
65	Tb	Terbium	[Xe] 4f⁹6s²
66	Dy	Dysprosium	[Xe] 4f¹⁰ 6s²
67	Ho	Holmium	[Xe] 4f¹¹6s2
68	Er	Erbium	[Xe] 4f¹² 6s²
69	Tm	Thulium	[Xe] 4f¹³ 6s²
70	Yb	Ytterbium	[Xe] 4f¹⁴ 6s²
71	Lu	Lutetium	[Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹6s²

Actinides

The actinides are the second group of elements, having atomic numbers ranging from 89 to 103. These elements are often radioactive.

Atomic number	Symbol	Name	Electronic configuration
90	Th	Thorium	[Rn] 6d² 7s²
91	Pa	Protactinium	[Rn] 5f² 6d¹ 7s²
92	U	Uranium	[Rn] 5f³6d¹7s²
93	Np	Neptunium	[Rn] 5f⁴6d¹ 7s²
94	Pu	Plutonium	[Rn] 5f⁶ 7s²
95	Am	Americium	[Rn] 5f⁷ 7s²
96	Cm	Curium	[Rn] 5f⁷ 6d¹ 7s²
97	Bk	Berkelium	[Rn] 5f⁹7s²
98	Cf	Californium	[Rn] 5f¹⁰ 7s²
99	Es	Einsteinium	[Rn] 5f¹¹7s²
100	Fm	Fermium	[Rn] 5f¹² 7s²
101	Md	Mendelevium	[Rn] 5f¹³ 7s²
102	No	Nobelium	[Rn] 5f¹⁴7s2
103	Lr	Lawrencium	[Rn] 5f¹⁴ 7s² 7p¹

Properties of F-Block Elements

The properties of F-block elements are as follows:

The properties F-block elememts are similar to d-block elements.
They are found in the periodic table between (n-1)d and ns block elements.
It add electrons to the 'f' suborbital of the (n-2) level

D and F Block Elements

Characteristics of Lanthanide Series

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The characteristics of Lanthanides series are as follows:

Lanthanides are soft metals that appear silvery white.
Due to reductions in atomic and ionic radii drop, they are known as lanthanoid contractions.
The melting points vary between 1000 and 1200 degrees Celsius (Except for Samarium, 1623K).
Its colour is dull, and its brightness fades fast when exposed to air
Except for Promethium, none of these elements is radioactive.
Lanthanides are good electrical and heat conductors.

Characteristics of Actinides Series

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The characteristics of the actinides series are as follows:

They are frequently oxidized to +3 oxidation state.
Elements in the first half of the series have frequently displayed higher oxidation states.
The actinides have a silvery look.
These metals are exceedingly reactive, and when finely split, their reactivity increases.
They are radioactive materials.
Due to reductions in atomic and ionic radii drop, they are known as actinoid contraction.

Applications of D and F Block Elements

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Some important applications of d and f block element are as follows:

Some chemicals, such as MnO_⁴^-and CrO₄^2-, are extremely effective oxidizers.
The most significant building materials are iron and steel.
Their manufacturing process comprises decreasing iron oxides, eliminating impurities, adding carbon, and alloying metals such as Cr, Mn, and Ni.
Many of the chemicals or elements in this block have catalytic properties.
Some compounds are developed for specific use, such as TiO for the pigment industry.
MnO₂ is used in dry cells containing Zn.
AgBr is a widely used compound in photography.
Ag and Agl can be utilized in addition to AgBr.

D and F Block Elements

Things to Remember

The d and f block elements ionization energy develops from left to right.
Enthalpies of subsequent ionization do not increase as rapidly with increasing atomic numbers.
Transition element is an element with partially filled d orbitals in its ground or oxidation states.
The oxidation states of these elements vary.
They are paramagnetic substances.
Typically, d and f block elements and their compounds are coloured.
The melting point increases to the centre before falling.

Read More:

Chapter Related Concepts
k₂Cr₂O7	k₂CrO₄	Curium
Dichromate	Europium	Gadolinium
Neodymium	Praseodymium	Promethium
Periodic Classification of Elements	Ammonium persulfate	F-Block Elements (Inner Transition Elements)
D and F Block Elements MCQ	D and F Block Important Questions	Carbonyl compounds

Previous Year Questions

Sample Questions

Ques: Why are the F-block elements separately placed in the periodic table? (3 marks)

Ans: F block elements are separately placed in the periodic table because the actinide and lanthanide series contain a single item in their respective rows of the periodic table.

They indicate elements having electrons in the 5f and 6f subshells, whereas the other elements in that row have electrons in the 4d and 5d subshells.
It is difficult to include all 14 elements of each series in a single block in the main body of the periodic table.
Those series are depicted in rows below the main body.
The grouping also reflects the equivalent properties of the components in those series.

Ques: What metals are included inside the F block? (3 marks)

Ans: Lanthanides and actinides are the two series of f-block elements or inner transition elements. The Lanthanide series consists of atomic numbers ranging from 57 to 71.

These materials are not radioactive (except for Promethium).
The lanthanide series' penultimate electron reaches the 4f orbital.
The actinide series comprises elements with atomic numbers ranging from 89 to 103.
These elements are often radioactive.
The actinide series' last electron reaches the 5f orbital.

Ques: What are the features of F-block elements? (4 marks)

Ans: The features of f block elements are as follows:

The properties f block elememts are similar to d-block elements.
They are found in the periodic table between (n-1)d and ns block elements.
It add electrons to the 'f' suborbital of the (n-2) level
They are extremely heavy metals.
F block elements have high melting and boiling points.
They have varying oxidation states.
The elements produce coloured ions.
They tend to generate complicated molecules.
Actinoids are naturally radioactive.

Ques: How do you write the electrical configuration of actinides? (2 marks)

Ans: Actinides are radioactive elements with atomic numbers ranging from 90 to 103. They make up the periodic table's "f" block and are produced when the 5f sublevel is filled. Most are similar to the "d" block of the periodic table. They can lose a high number of electrons to produce a variety of ions.

Ques: What does the catalytic activity for F-block elements mean? (3 marks)

Ans: Transition metals and their compounds' ability to adopt multiple oxidation states and complexing abilities characterize their catalytic activity. Catalysis at a solid surface involves the formation of bonds between reactant molecules and atoms on the catalyst's surface.

This increases the concentration of reactants on the catalyst surface while reducing the connections between the interacting molecules.
They may change oxidation states, transition metal ions are more effective as catalysts.

Ques: Explain the lanthanide contraction? (3 marks)

Ans: Lanthanide contraction is the gradual decrease in atomic and ionic size of lanthanoids as their atomic number increases. For each succeeding atom, the nuclear charge can increase by one unit, followed by an increase in the electron count in the 4f orbitals around the nucleus.

The 4f electrons are poorly protected against the rising positive charge of the nucleus.
The effective nuclear charge grows progressively as the lanthanide elements progress.
It attract every electron and resulting in a decrease in ionic and atomic radii.

Ques: Write some important alloys of the d block elements? (2 marks)

Ans. Some important alloys of d block elements are as follows:

Magnalium – Mg (10%) + Al (90%)
Solder – Pb + Sn
Alloys of steel
Vanadium steel – V (0.2-1%)
Chromium steel – Cr (2-4%)
Nickel steel – Ni (3-5%)
Manganese steel – Mn (10-18%)
Stainless steel Cr (12-14%) and Ni (2-4%)
Tungsten steel – W (10-20%)
Invar – Ni (36%)
Duralumin – (Al + Mn + Cu)
Constantan – Cu (60%) + Ni (40%)
Artificial Gold – Cu (90%) + Al (10%)
24 Carat Gold – 100% Au
14 carat gold – 54% Au +Ag(14 to 30%) + Cu ( 12-28%)

Ques: Explain the formation of interstitial compounds? (4 marks)

Ans: Transition elements react with elements such as nitrogen, hydrogen, boron, and others to generate interstitial compounds. Smaller atoms become trapped between the interstitial spaces of the metal lattice.

These interstitial compounds are non-stoichiometric.
As a result, no exact formula can be supplied to them.
Smaller-sized elements are retained in transition element interstitial gaps due to weak Vander Waals forces of attraction.
The interstitial compounds acquire the chemical properties from the parent metals.
They differ in physical properties like hardness and density.

Ques: Explain the colour formation of different transition elements? (3 marks)

Ans: Coloured transition element compounds are linked by (n-1)d orbitals that are partially filled. Unpaired electronic d- electrons undergo an electronic transition from one -d- orbital to another.

During the d-d transition, electrons absorb part of the energy from the radiation and emit the rest as coloured light.
The colour of the ion is complementary to the colour absorbed by it.
As a result of the d-d transition, which happens in the visible area for all transition elements, the coloured ion is formed.

Ques: Explain different types of transition series of d block elements? (4 marks)

Ans: The different types of transition series of d block elements are as follows:

First Transition Series: The elements included in the first transition series are as follows: Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn. They are also known as 3d elements.
Second Transition Series: The elements included in the second transition series are as follows: Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, and Cd. They are also known as 4d elements.
Third Transition Series: The elements included in the third transition series are as follows: La, Hf, Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir, Pt, Au, and Hg. They are also known as 5d elements.
Fourth Transition Series: There are currently no elements included in the fourth transition series as they are unfinished. They are also known as 6d elements.

Ques: What are the applications of d and f block elements? (5 marks)

Ans: Some important applications of d and f block element are as follows:

Some chemicals, such as MnO_⁴^-and CrO₄^2-, are extremely effective oxidizers.
The most significant building materials are iron and steel.
Their manufacturing process comprises decreasing iron oxides, eliminating impurities, adding carbon, and alloying metals such as Cr, Mn, and Ni.
Many of the chemicals or elements in this block have catalytic properties.
Some compounds are developed for specific use, such as TiO for the pigment industry.
MnO2 is used in dry cells containing Zn.
AgBr is a widely used compound in photography.
Ag and Agl can be utilized in addition to AgBr.

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D and F Block Elements: Properties, Lanthanides & Actinides