Question

Give two reactions in which transition metals or their compounds act as catalysts.

Answer 1

Hint: The elements that occur in nature are classified in the periodic table based on their atomic number. The elements in the atomic table are categorized into blocks that make them easier to correlate and thus make the comparison easier.

Complete step by step answer:
The elements in the periodic table are classified in the form of blocks, groups, and periods based on the properties that they show. The change in the group or the period shows the change in the number of shells and the number of electrons in the shell.
The elements in-between groups 3 through 12 are called the transition elements. These contain the elements that own more of the metallic properties like iron, copper, etc. They are the only elements in the periodic table to produce the magnetic field.
Reactions in which the transition metals or their compounds act as catalysts can be seen under the following,
Haber’s process: It is the process for the formation of ammonia from nitrogen and hydrogen using iron as the catalyst for the system of reactions. This is a heterogeneous system. The following process can be represented as,
${N_2}(g) + 3{H_2}(g)\xrightarrow{{Fe}}2N{H_3}(g)$
Decomposition: Manganese dioxide can be used to catalyze the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. This is also a heterogeneous process. The reaction can be represented as below,
$2{H_2}O(l)\xrightarrow{{Mn{O_2}}}2{H_2}O(l) + {O_2}(g)$

Note: Catalyst can be understood as the compounds that affect the rate of the reaction but don’t take part in the reaction. The catalysts can also be of many types like inhibitors or promoters. The inhibitors slow the rate of the reaction in which they are used while the promoters help to increase the rate of the reaction.