Why do the transition elements have their name?
The (loosely defined) transition metals are the 40 chemical elements 21 to 30, 39 to 48, 71 to 80, and 103 to 112. The name transition comes from their position in the periodic table of elements. In each of the four periods in which they occur, these elements represent the successive addition of electrons to the d atomic orbitals of the atoms. In this way, the transition metals represent the transition between group 2 elements and group 13 elements. I don`t know if that means much to you but its because they are in between Gp2 and Gp13 elements and they fill the d orbitals with each subsequent electron as you move across the Period.
