The lanthanides and actinides belong to the inner transition metals from "summary" of The Periodic Table: A Very Short Introduction by Eric R. Scerri
The lanthanides and actinides are two sets of elements that are placed separately at the bottom of the periodic table, beneath the main body of elements. They are known as inner transition metals because they exhibit similar chemical properties to the transition metals, which are located in the d-block of the periodic table. However, the lanthanides and actinides have unique characteristics that set them apart from the rest of the elements. One key feature of the lanthanides and actinides is their electron configurations. These elements have partially filled f-orbitals, which gives them their distinctive properties. The f-orbitals are located in the innermost shells of the atoms, which is why these elements are called inner transition metals. The presence of the f-orbitals allows the lanthanides and actinides to form a wide variety of compounds with different oxidation states. A...
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