Tin (Sn) – Periodic Table [Element Information & More]

Tin element (Sn) is in group 14 and period 5 of a periodic table. Tin is in the p-block and it is classified as a post-transition element on the periodic table.

There is a lot more information related to tin which is mentioned in the Information Table given below.

So let’s dive right into it!

Table of contents

• Tin element (Information Table)
• Tin element in Periodic table
• Facts about Tin
• Properties of Tin
• Uses of Tin

Tin Element (Information Table)

The important data related to tin element is given in the table below.

Appearance of tin	Silvery-gray appearance
Atomic number of tin	50
Symbol of tin	Sn
Atomic mass of tin	118.71 u
Protons, Neutrons & Electrons in tin	Protons: 50, Neutrons: 69, Electrons: 50
State of tin (at STP)	Solid
Group number of tin in periodic table	14
Period number of tin in periodic table	5
Block of tin in periodic table	p-block
Category of tin	Post transition element (carbon group)
Bohr model or Electrons per shell or Electrons arrangement in tin	2, 8, 18, 18, 4
Electron configuration of tin	[Kr] 4d10 5s2 5p2
Orbital diagram of tin
Valence electrons in tin	4
Electronegativity of tin (on pauling scale)	1.96
Atomic radius of tin (van der Waals radius)	217 picometers
Density of tin	7.31 g/cm3
1st ionization energy of tin	7.344 eV
Main isotope of tin	120Sn
Melting point of tin	505.1 K or 231.9 °C or 449.4 °F
Boiling point of tin	2875 K or 2602 °C or 4716 °F
Crystal structure of tin	Tetragonal

Also see: Interactive Periodic Table (It has rotating bohr models as well as many other details of all the 118 elements in a single periodic table).

Tin element in Periodic table

The Tin element (Sn) has the atomic number 50 and is located in group 14 and period 5. Tin is a metal and it is classified as a post-transition element.

Click on above elements in the periodic table to see their information.

Facts about tin

Here are a few interesting facts about tin element.

1. Tin is the 50^th most abundant element present in the earth’s crust.
2. The earth’s crust contains around 2 ppm of tin.
3. Tin makes a screaming sound when it is bent. This is known as “Tin cry”.
4. SnO₂ is the main ore of tin and most of the tin is obtained from this ore.

Properties of tin

Here is a list of some physical properties and chemical properties of tin.

Physical properties of tin

• Tin is a soft metal and it has a silvery white appearance.
• Tin metal gives a shiny surface when it is polished.
• The tin has a density of 7.31 g/cm³ and its atomic mass is 118.71 u.
• Tin is malleable metal. Because of this property of tin, it can be drawn into thin sheets.
• There are many isotopes of tin and out of these isotopes, the most abundant isotope is ¹²⁰Sn.
• The melting point and boiling point of tin is 505.1 K and 2875 K respectively.
• Tin has a tetragonal crystal structure.

Chemical properties of tin

• 12% tin is mixed with 88% copper to produce bronze metal.
• Tin behaves like a superconductor at the temperature below 13 °C.
• Tin is resistant to corrosion.
• Tin has an electronegativity of 1.96 on the pauling scale.

Uses of tin

Here are some uses of the tin element.

• Tin is mainly used in the manufacturing of bronze which is made by alloying 12% tin and 88% copper.
• Tin is used in the manufacturing of fusible plugs as it has a lower melting point (231.9 °C).
• Tin and lead are alloyed to make the solder for the soldering process.
• Tin is alloyed with niobium which gives a tin-niobium alloy. This alloy behaves like a superconductor at temperatures below 13 °C.
• Tin is also used for plating of other metals.

External resources:

1. Electronic structure of the elements. (2000, March). The European Physical Journal C, 15(1–4), 78–79. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02683401
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4. Allred, A. (1961, June). Electronegativity values from thermochemical data. Journal of Inorganic and Nuclear Chemistry, 17(3–4), 215–221. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-1902(61)80142-5
5. Periodic Table of Elements: Los Alamos National Laboratory. (n.d.). Periodic Table of Elements: Los Alamos National Laboratory. https://periodic.lanl.gov/50.shtml
6. Tin – Element information, properties and uses | Periodic Table. (n.d.). Tin – Element Information, Properties and Uses | Periodic Table. https://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/50/tin
7. Possolo, et al. (2018, January 4). Interpreting and propagating the uncertainty of the standard atomic weights (IUPAC Technical Report). Pure and Applied Chemistry, 90(2), 395–424. https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2016-0402
8. Emsley, J. (2011). Nature’s Building Blocks: An A-Z Guide to the Elements. United Kingdom: OUP Oxford.
9. Haynes, W. M. (Ed.). (2014, June 4). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. https://doi.org/10.1201/b17118
10. Tin – Wikipedia. (2013, January 23). Tin – Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tin
11. P. (n.d.). Tin | Sn (Element) – PubChem. Tin | Sn (Element) – PubChem. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/element/Tin
12. It’s Elemental – The Element Tin. (n.d.). It’s Elemental – the Element Tin. https://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele050.html
13. Atomic Weight of Tin | Commission on Isotopic Abundances and Atomic Weights. (n.d.). Atomic Weight of Tin | Commission on Isotopic Abundances and Atomic Weights. https://ciaaw.org/tin.htm
14. Atomic Data for Tin (Sn). (n.d.). Atomic Data for Tin (Sn). https://physics.nist.gov/PhysRefData/Handbook/Tables/tintable1.htm
15. Tin | Sn | ChemSpider. (n.d.). Tin | Sn | ChemSpider. http://www.chemspider.com/Chemical-Structure.4509318.html?rid=3854f8f8-2114-4f2a-8fa3-0d823e5c80fd
16. Tin Statistics and Information | U.S. Geological Survey. (n.d.). Tin Statistics and Information | U.S. Geological Survey. https://www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center/tin-statistics-and-information
17. C&EN: IT’S ELEMENTAL: THE PERIODIC TABLE – TIN. (n.d.). C&EN: IT’S ELEMENTAL: THE PERIODIC TABLE – TIN. https://pubsapp.acs.org/cen/80th/tin.html?