Tin (Sn)

Tin is a silvery, malleable post-transition metal that is not easily oxidized in air.

Core Principles & Analysis

• Tin has been used since about 3000 BCE, when alloying it with copper to make bronze defined an entire age of human history.
• Below 13.2 degrees Celsius, white metallic tin can slowly transform into brittle gray tin, a decay known as tin pest.
• Tin is the basis of electronic solder, corrosion-resistant tinplate for food cans, and the molten baths on which float glass is made.

Specifications & Metrics

• NUM: 50
• SYMBOL: Sn
• CATEGORY: Post-transition Metal
• ATOMIC MASS: 118.71 u
• ELECTRONEGATIVITY: 1.96 Pauling
• ATOMIC RADIUS: 217 pm
• IONIZATION ENERGY: 7.344 eV
• ELECTRON AFFINITY: 1.2 eV
• MELTING POINT: 505.08 K
• BOILING POINT: 2875 K
• DENSITY: 7.287 g/cm³
• ELECTRON CONFIGURATION: [Kr]5s2 4d10 5p2
• OXIDATION STATES: +4, +2
• STANDARD STATE: Solid
• GROUP BLOCK: Post-transition metal
• YEAR DISCOVERED: Ancient