Transition metal complexes

At the end of this activity, students should be able to:
– describe the structure of complex ions and determine the co–ordination number of the central ion
– classify ligands as uni– or multitendate
– determine the charge of a complex ion
– explain why transition metal complexes are usually coloured, and say what affects their colour
– describe the reactions of complex ions in terms of ligand exchange
– give examples of redox reactions promoted by changing the ligands
– describe the uses of transition metal complexes, including in analytical tests
– explain the biological importance of transition metal complexes.