Which of the following statements correctly describes a characteristic property of transition metals compared to representative elements?

• A. Transition metals have completely filled s and p orbitals in their outermost shell.
• B. Transition metals typically have higher melting points than representative elements.
• C. Transition metals generally have lower densities than representative elements.
• D. Transition metals do not form colored compounds, unlike representative elements.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the difference between transition metals and representative elements (also called main group elements). Transition metals are elements found in the d-block of the periodic table, characterized by having partially filled d orbitals.
2. Recall that transition metals typically have higher melting points and densities compared to representative elements because of the stronger metallic bonding due to the involvement of d electrons in bonding.
3. Recognize that transition metals often form colored compounds due to d-d electron transitions, whereas representative elements usually do not form colored compounds because they lack partially filled d orbitals.
4. Note that transition metals do not have completely filled s and p orbitals in their outermost shell; instead, they have partially filled d orbitals, which is a key characteristic.
5. Based on these points, identify that the statement 'Transition metals typically have higher melting points than representative elements' correctly describes a characteristic property of transition metals.