Given below are two statements: one is labelled as Assertion (A) and the other is labelled as Reason (R). Assertion (A): Transition metal ions typically show broad absorption bands, whereas lanthanoid ions show sharp, narrow bands. Reason (R): The 4f electrons in lanthanoids are highly exposed to the surrounding ligands, whereas the (n-1)d electrons in transition metals are deeply buried and shielded. In the light of

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Assertion (A) is true. The absorption bands of transition metal ions are generally broad due to the strong interaction of their d -orbitals with ligands, whereas lanthanoid ions exhibit sharp, narrow bands due to f-f transitions. Reason (R) is false. The 4f electrons in lanthanoids are deeply buried and effectively shielded by the outer 5s and 5p subshells, leading to very weak interactions with the ligand field. In contrast, the (n-1)d electrons in transition metals are outermost and highly exposed to the surround