THE PRESENCE OF UNPAIRED ELECTRONS IN AN ATOM OF A TRANSITION METAL GIVES RISE TO

• A. paramagnetism ✓
• B. malleability
• C. ductility
• D. shiny appearance

The presence of unpaired electrons in an atom of a transition metal gives rise to paramagnetism. Paramagnetism is a form of magnetism that occurs only in the presence of an external magnetic field. When unpaired electrons are present in the outermost shell of transition metals, they align their magnetic moments with the external magnetic field, resulting in a weak attraction to the field. This phenomenon is due to the presence of unpaired electrons that can be influenced by an external magnetic field, distinguishing it from diamagnetic materials which do not have unpaired electrons and are weakly repelled by magnetic fields.

In other words, Paramagnetism is a property exhibited by substances that contain unpaired electrons. When transition metals have unpaired electrons in their d orbitals, they are attracted by an external magnetic field due to the alignment of these unpaired electrons. This attraction results in the material being weakly magnetized while the external magnetic field is present. Therefore, the presence of unpaired electrons in transition metals leads to paramagnetism.