Sn
Tin
Atomic number: 50Mass: 118.71 uCategory: Post-Transition Metal
About Tin
Tin is a silvery metal that characteristically has a faint yellow hue. It has the most stable isotopes of any element. Bronze — an alloy of tin and copper — was so important it gave its name to the Bronze Age.
Properties
Period
5
Group
14
Block
P
Category
Post-Transition Metal
Electronegativity
1.96 (Pauling)
Ionization Energy
708.6 kJ/mol
Melting Point
505 K (232°C)
Boiling Point
2875 K (2602°C)
Density
7.265 g/cm³
Oxidation States
+2, +4
Electron Configuration
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 5s² 5p²
[Kr] 4d¹⁰ 5s² 5p²
Shell 1:2e⁻
Shell 2:8e⁻
Shell 3:18e⁻
Shell 4:18e⁻
Shell 5:4e⁻
Real-World Uses
Tin cans (steel coating)
Solder
Bronze alloys
Pewter
Window glass production
Fun Fact
When you bend a tin bar, it makes a creaking sound called 'tin cry' — caused by tin crystals scrunching against each other!