Tin

Tin, ₅₀Sn
General properties
Allotropes	alpha, α (gray); beta, β (white)
Appearance	silvery-white (beta, β) or gray (alpha, α)
Standard atomic weight (Ar, standard)	118.710(7)
Tin in the periodic table
	indium ← tin → antimony
Atomic number (Z)	50
Group	group 14 (carbon group)
Period	period 5
Block	p-block
Element category	post-transition metal
Electron configuration	[Kr] 4d10 5s2 5p2
Electrons per shell	2, 8, 18, 18, 4
Physical properties
Phase at STP	Sn: Solid
Melting point	505.08 K (231.93 °C, 449.47 °F)
Boiling point	2875 K (2602 °C, 4716 °F)
Density (near r.t.)	white, β: 7.265 g/cm3 ; gray, α: 5.769 g/cm3
when liquid (at m.p.)	6.99 g/cm3
Heat of fusion	white, β: 7.03 kJ/mol
Heat of vaporization	white, β: 296.1 kJ/mol
Molar heat capacity	white, β: 27.112 J/(mol·K)
Atomic properties
Oxidation states	−4, −3, −2, −1, +1, +2, +3, +4 (an amphoteric oxide)
Electronegativity	Pauling scale: 1.96
Ionization energies	1st: 708.6 kJ/mol ; 2nd: 1411.8 kJ/mol ; 3rd: 2943.0 kJ/mol ; ;
Atomic radius	empirical: 140 pm
Covalent radius	139±4 pm
Van der Waals radius	217 pm
	Spectral lines of tin
Other properties
Natural occurrence	Sn: Primordial
Crystal structure	tetragonal ; white (β)
Crystal structure	face-centered diamond-cubic ; gray (α)
Speed of sound thin rod	2730 m/s (at r.t.) (rolled)
Thermal expansion	22.0 µm/(m·K) (at 25 °C)
Thermal conductivity	66.8 W/(m·K)
Electrical resistivity	115 nΩ·m (at 0 °C)
Magnetic ordering	gray: diamagnetic; white (β): paramagnetic
Magnetic susceptibility	(white) +3.1·10−6 cm3/mol (298 K)
Young's modulus	50 GPa
Shear modulus	18 GPa
Bulk modulus	58 GPa
Poisson ratio	0.36
Brinell hardness	50–440 MPa
CAS Number	7440-31-5
History
Discovery	around 3500 BC
Main isotopes of tin
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Tin is a chemical element with symbol Sn (for Latin: stannum) and atomic number 50. It is in Group 14 on the periodic table. It has ten isotopes that are not radioactive, which is more than any other element.

Tin

Properties

Physical properties

Alpha(α) and beta(β) forms of tin

Tin is a silver, somewhat soft metal. It is a post-transition metal. Its melting point is 231.93°C and its boiling point is 2602 °C. It can melt easily in a flame. It is malleable. It makes a crackling sound called tin cry when a piece of it is bent. Tin has more non-radioactive isotopes than any other element.

Tin is found in two allotropes: alpha-tin and beta-tin. Alpha-tin is a brittle, dull, powdery, semimetallic form of tin. It is made when very pure tin is cooled. Beta-tin is the normal shiny, soft, conductive, metallic form. It is made at higher temperatures. The decay of tin by turning from beta-tin to alpha-tin is called tin pest. Alpha-tin is not wanted in many places. When small amounts of other elements like antimony are added, the tin cannot change into alpha-tin. When alpha-tin is heated, it changes into beta-tin.

Tin can be hardened by adding antimony or copper, as well as some other elements. These also make it resistant to tin pest. Tin can also be made very shiny. Tin can make an alloy with copper called bronze.

Chemical properties

Tin resists many corrosive substances and is often used to protect other metals. Salt water and fresh water do not affect tin. It dissolves in strong acids to make tin salts. It reacts with some strong bases.

Chemical compounds

Occurrence

Cassiterite

Tin is not found as a metal in the ground. It is normally in the form of cassiterite. Cassiterite is a mineral containg tin(IV) oxide. The cassiterite is normally found downstream of the cassiterite deposit when it is by a stream or river. Tin is also found in some complicated sulfide minerals.

Tin does not have any major job in the human body.

Preparation

Tin is made by heating cassiterite with carbon in a furnace. China is the biggest maker of tin.

History

People discovered tin long ago and used it with other metals. When copper and tin are mixed together, bronze is made. Bronze was important in the past, because it was one of the strongest metals available, which meant it was useful in weapons and tools. Bronze changed the world when it was first invented, starting the Bronze Age. People organized themselves more, because making tools from bronze was harder than making them from rock and wood like they did before.

Uses

Pewter plate

Tin solder without lead

Tin is used in solder. Solder used to contain a mixture of lead and tin. Now the lead is removed because of its toxicity.

Tin is also used to make pewter, which is mainly tin mixed with a small amount of copper and other metals. Babbitt metal also has tin in it. Tin is used to coat several metals, like lead and steel. Tin plated steel containers are used to store foods. The pipes on a pipe organ are made of tin. Tin foil was used before aluminium foil. Tin was one of the first superconductors to be found. Organotin compounds are more common than almost any other organometal compound. They are used in some PVC pipes to stop them from decaying. Organotin compounds are toxic, though.

Safety

Tin is not toxic, but tin compounds are very toxic to marine life. They are a little toxic to humans.

TinChemical Compounds Media

Droplet of solidified molten tin
Ceremonial giant bronze dirk of the Plougrescant-Ommerschans type, Plougrescant, France, 1500–1300 BC
Ball-and-stick models of the structure of solid stannous chloride (SnCl₂)
World production and price (US exchange) of tin
Tin Prices 2008–2022
Tin plated metal from a can
- American; Plate; Metal

Sources

↑ Meija, J.; Coplen, T. B.; Berglund, M.; Brand, W.A.; De Bièvre, P.; Gröning, M.; Holden, N.E.; Irrgeher, J.; Loss, R.D.; Walczyk, T.; Prohaska, T. (2016). "Atomic weights of the elements 2013 (IUPAC Technical Report)". Pure and Applied Chemistry. 88 (3): 265–91. doi:10.1515/pac-2015-0305. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |displayauthors= ignored (|display-authors= suggested) (help)
↑ "HSn". NIST Chemistry WebBook. National Institute of Standards and Technology. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
↑ "SnH3". NIST Chemistry WebBook. National Institure of Standards and Technology. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
↑ Lide, D. R., ed. (2005). "Magnetic susceptibility of the elements and inorganic compounds". CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (PDF) (86th ed.). Boca Raton (FL): CRC Press. ISBN 0-8493-0486-5.
↑ Weast, Robert (1984). CRC, Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. Boca Raton, Florida: Chemical Rubber Company Publishing. pp. E110. ISBN 0-8493-0464-4.
↑ "SnH3". NIST Chemistry WebBook. National Institure of Standards and Technology. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
↑ "HSn". NIST Chemistry WebBook. National Institute of Standards and Technology. Retrieved 23 January 2013.

[CIAAW2016-1] Meija, J.; Coplen, T. B.; Berglund, M.; Brand, W.A.; De Bièvre, P.; Gröning, M.; Holden, N.E.; Irrgeher, J.; Loss, R.D.; Walczyk, T.; Prohaska, T. (2016). "Atomic weights of the elements 2013 (IUPAC Technical Report)". Pure and Applied Chemistry. 88 (3): 265–91. doi:10.1515/pac-2015-0305. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |displayauthors= ignored (|display-authors= suggested) (help)

[2] "HSn". NIST Chemistry WebBook. National Institute of Standards and Technology. Retrieved 23 January 2013.

[3] "SnH3". NIST Chemistry WebBook. National Institure of Standards and Technology. Retrieved 23 January 2013.

[4] Lide, D. R., ed. (2005). "Magnetic susceptibility of the elements and inorganic compounds". CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (PDF) (86th ed.). Boca Raton (FL): CRC Press. ISBN 0-8493-0486-5.

[5] Weast, Robert (1984). CRC, Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. Boca Raton, Florida: Chemical Rubber Company Publishing. pp. E110. ISBN 0-8493-0464-4.

[6] "SnH3". NIST Chemistry WebBook. National Institure of Standards and Technology. Retrieved 23 January 2013.

[7] "HSn". NIST Chemistry WebBook. National Institute of Standards and Technology. Retrieved 23 January 2013.

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