Transition metals: colour of salts

Transition elements are usually characterised by having d orbitals. Now when the metal is not bonded to anything else, these d orbitals are degenerate, meaning that they all have the same energy level.

However when the metal starts bonding with other ligands, this changes. Due to the different symmetries of the d orbitals and the inductive effects of the ligands on the electrons, the d orbitals split apart and become non-degenerate (have different energy levels).

This forms the basis of Crystal Field Theory. How these d orbitals split depend on the geometry of the compound that is formed.

However transition metals are special in that the energy difference between the non-degenerate d orbitals correspond to the energy of radiation of the visible light spectrum. This means that when we look at the metal complex, we don't see the entire visible light spectrum, but only a part of it.