Question

To what extent do the electronic configurations, decide the stability of oxidation states in the first series of the transition elements? Illustrate your answer with examples.

Answer 1

In a transition series, the oxidation states which lead to exactly half-filled or completely d-orbitals are more stable. For example `Mn(Z=25)=3d^5(4)s^(2)` shows oxidation states `+2` to `+7` but `Mn^(2+)` is most stable because it has the configuration `3d^5`.