Which one of the following is a coinage metal

  • A. Pd
  • B. Cu
  • C. Cd
  • D. Hg

Explanation

Copper, silver and gold form group IB and are called the coinage metals because their unreactivity and durability made them the traditional choice for currency. Palladium is a platinum group metal, and cadmium and mercury sit in group IIB with completely filled d subshells. All four are d block elements, which is what makes the distractors plausible.

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