Zinc is in some aspects similar to magnesium in that its current
oxidation state is +2, giving a cation of size comparable to that of Mg2 +. It
is the 24th most abundant element in the earth's crust. It has five stable
natural isotopes.
Zinc is an element of group 12 and of period 4. Stricto sensu, it is a poor
metal, which does not meet the definition of the transition elements by IUPAC7;
in practice, however, it is very often assimilated to transition metals in
textbooks and numerous works. It is part of the ˇ°zinc groupˇ±, or group IIB,
which includes, by increasing atomic number, 30Zn, 48Cd and 80Hg, elements
characterized by two electrons on the s sublayer beyond a complete d sublayer .
The electronic configuration of zinc is [Ar] 3d10 4s2. Zinc and cadmium Cd are
fairly similar electropositive metals, while mercury Hg has an even lower
reactivity and an even more noble metallic character. For chemists, the zinc
group is clearly distinguished from alkaline earths, with metals insoluble in
water, having fairly low melting and boiling points, weak ionic rays, and
tending to form complexes.
In the natural environment, zinc is approximately 600 times more abundant than
cadmium, approximately 1,500 times more abundant than mercury.
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copper aluminum lead Zinc tin nickel iron
magnesium bismuth manganese chromium cobalt titanium
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