formation of coloured ions

• Why are transition metal complex ions colourful?

  Transition metals have d orbital electrons. In complex ions, the ligands interact with the d orbitals, causing some of the orbitals to increase in energy level and others to decrease.This creates a small gap in energy levels, which corresponds to one of the frequencies of visible light.
• an atom is in its ground state when

  all of its electrons are in their lowest possible energy levels
• an atom is in its excited state when 


   at least one of its electrons is not in its lowest possible energy level
• when light is absorbed by transition metals d electrons move from he ground state to an excited state
• what can transition metals be identified by?

  their colour
• $\Delta E=$$h\nu$what is the name of the constant in this equation


  Planck's constant
• $\Delta E=$$h\nu$ what is the meaning of v (nu)


  the frequency of electromagnetic radiation
• what is frequency

  (ν)a measure of how many wave cycles pass a particular point in space per unit time
• how number do you multiply to convert from nm to metres

  x10^-9