Question: are copper and zinc transition metals?
Answer: Zinc has the electronic structure [Ar] 3d104s2. When it forms ions, it always loses the two 4s electrons to give a 2+ ion with the electronic structure [Ar] 3d10. ... However, the more common Cu2+ ion has the structure [Ar] 3d9. Copper is definitely a transition metal because the Cu2+ ion has an incomplete d level.