Question

What metal will have properties most similar to chromium?

Answer 1

Chromium is placed in group $VI - B$ . Its properties are similar to the other members of the group. The group $VI - B$ contains chromium, molybdenum, tungsten and seaborgium. The members of this group do not show patterns in its electronic configuration far from other groups as the two lighter members of this group are exceptions from the Aufbau principle.

Complete answer:
Group $VI - B$ is the group consisting of transition metals in which chromium, molybdenum and tungsten are refractory metals. Most of the chemistry deals with the first three members of the group $VI - B$ . The chemistry of seaborgium is not established and therefore the rest of the section only deals with upper neighbours.
Metals which are similar to chromium are molybdenum and tungsten. They are similar to chromium as they lie in the same group and have the same properties.
Chromium is the twenty-first most abundant element by weight in the earth’s crust. Molybdenum and tungsten are quite rare. Like chromium, molybdenum and tungsten are hard and have very high melting points and have low volatility. The melting point of $W$ is the next highest to carbon. The oxides of $Mo{O_3}\;$ and $W{O_3}$ are strongly acidic and dissolve in aqueous $NaOH$ forming discrete tetrahedral molybdate $MoO_4^{2 - }$ and tungstate $WO_4^{2 - }$ ions same as oxides of $Cr{O_3}$ form chromate $CrO_4^{2 - }$ .

Note:
Remember the electronic configuration of $Cr$ and $Mo$ are the same but $W$ is different. The electronic configuration of $Cr$ and $Mo$ is $\left( {n - 1} \right){d^5}n{s^1}$ whereas the electronic configuration of tungsten is $\left( {n - 1} \right){d^5}n{s^2}$ . $Cr$ dissolves in $HCl$ and ${H_2}S{O_4}$ , but is passivated by $HN{O_3}$ or aqua regia. $Mo$ and $W$ are relatively inert and are only slightly attacked by aqueous acids and alkalis.