Question:medium

Assertion (A): Transition metals have high melting points.
Reason (R): Transition metals have incompletely filled d-orbitals.

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Unpaired d-electrons participate in metallic bonding. More unpaired electrons = stronger bonds = higher melting points.
Updated On: Jul 22, 2026
  • Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of the Assertion (A).
  • Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of the Assertion (A).
  • Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false.
  • Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) is true.
Show Solution

The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Verify the assertion.
Transition metals (with some exceptions like Mn) are known for remarkably high melting and boiling points compared to neighbouring s-block and p-block metals, so the assertion that transition metals have high melting points is true.
Step 2: Verify the reason.
Transition metals possess incompletely filled d-orbitals in the ground state (e.g., Fe is [Ar]$3d^6 4s^2$, Cr is [Ar]$3d^5 4s^1$). This is factually true for most d-block elements.
Step 3: Check if the reason explains the assertion.
Incomplete d-orbitals provide unpaired electrons that participate in strong covalent-character metallic bonding in addition to the usual electron sea. The more unpaired d-electrons, the stronger the interatomic bonding and the more energy required to melt the metal.
Step 4: Conclusion.
Both the assertion and the reason are true, and the incomplete d-orbitals directly cause stronger metallic bonding, which explains the high melting points.
\[ \boxed{\text{Both A and R are true; R is the correct explanation of A}} \]
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