CH1012
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COLOUR
        COLOUR IN METAL COMPLEXES
• Main group ions have achieved a noble gas electronic configuration and so electronic transitions occur between orbitals with different principal quantum numbers (n) – shell number eg 1s ® 2s.
• The energy differences correspond to the energy of ultraviolet light, so that they normally appear colourless  eg. NaCl
•The transition metal ions may exist in a variety of oxidation states so that obtaining a noble gas configuration is not critical.