Families of Element - The Transition Metals

The elements in groups 3 through 12, the transition metals or d-block elements, could be considered as one large family. Their characteristic feature, with some exceptions, is the presence of an incomplete d sublevel in their electron configurations. As with any large family, transition metals show considerable diversity in their behavior, although there are some unifying features, such as their ability to form ions with a charge of +2. Another similarity between these elements is that most of their compounds are colored.