Question

Which element in Figure 2 is a transition metal? Which is a noble gas?

Answer 1

V is the transition metal. He is the noble gas. The periodic chart is arranged with metals on the left and non-metals on the right and the noble (non-reactive) gases form the rightmost column. The transition metals are the group of elements from columns 3 through 12. Although a strict definition of transition metals is those elements that have an incomplete d sub-shell, in which case column 12 is excluded since zinc, cadmium, and mercury do have complete d sub-shells. With that in mind, since the element V is the only element listed in the range of a transition metal, that's the answer. And since He is the only element listed in the noble gas column, that too is the answer.