More so than any of the other major groups of elements in the periodic table, the transition metals have shaped human history and have been the workhorses of industry. The discovery of metallic copper ended the Stone Age and ushered in the Bronze Age. Alloys of iron (especially steel) later took over, and the Iron Age replaced the Bronze Age. Copper, silver, and gold—and, more recently, platinum—have been the precious metals from which coins and jewelry have been made from ancient times to the present.
Each chapter in the new, full-color Transition Metals discusses a group of elements, including their similarities and differences and current research and applications. Ideal for high school or college students interested in chemistry and physics, this straightforward resource is devoted to the chemical and physical properties of transition metals and how they are useful in everyday life. Some of the transition metals covered include scandium, yttrium, titanium, manganese, cobalt, and zinc.

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Excerpted from Transition Metals by Monica Halka
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