In the transition series of metals, the metal which exhibits the greatest number of oxidation states occurs in the middle of the series. Explain.

Explanation

To explain why the metal that exhibits the greatest number of oxidation states occurs in the middle of the transition series, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Identify the Transition Series
The transition metals are found in the d-block of the periodic table. The 3d series includes the elements from scandium (Sc) to zinc (Zn).

### Step 2: Determine the Electronic Configurations
The electronic configurations of the first few transition metals in the 3d series are as follows:
- Scandium (Sc): [Ar] 3d¹ 4s²
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