Scope

The lanthanides and actinides and transition metals have characteristic patterns of chemistry and are treated in Sections H and I. The left over non-transition metals comprise the elements of group 12 even though they are generally part of the d-block, like the d orbitals in these atoms are very tightly bound to be concerned in chemical bonding and the elements do not depict characteristic transition metal properties.

Figure 1 depicts the position of non-transition metals in the periodic table. They come into two classes with considerably dissimilar chemistry. The pre-transition metals include groups 1 and 2 and aluminum in group 13. They are general metals, extremely electropositive in character and approximately invariably found in oxidation states supposed for ions in a noble-gas configuration (example Na⁺, Mg²⁺, Al³⁺). In nature they take place broadly in silicate minerals, even though weathering processes give increase to concentrated deposits of other compounds like halides (example NaCl, CaF₂) carbonates (CaCO₃) and hydroxides (AlO(OH)).

From periods 4-6 in groups the metallic elements following the transition series are post-transition   metals. They are than the pre-transition metals less electropositive and are generally found in nature as sulfides rather than silicates. They create compounds with oxidation states subsequent to d¹⁰ ions in which s and p electrons have been ionized (example Cd²⁺, In³⁺, Sn⁴⁺) but these are less ionic in character than subsequent compounds of pre-transition metals. Post-transition metals form stronger complexes than with pre-transition metals in solution. Lower oxidation states (example Tl⁺, Sn²⁺) are also general.