Sn
Tin is one of the earliest metals used by humanity and a key component of bronze.
Physical Properties
| Atomic Mass | 118.71 u |
| Density | 7.287 g/cm³ |
| Melting Point | 505.08 K |
| Boiling Point | 2875.0 K |
| Appearance | Silvery-white, slightly bluish metallic |
| State at Room Temp | Solid |
Chemical Properties
| Electronegativity | 1.96 (Pauling) |
| 1st Ionization Energy | 708.6 kJ/mol |
| Electron Affinity | 107.3 kJ/mol |
| Oxidation States | -4, +2, +4 |
Atomic Properties
| Electron Configuration | [Kr] 4d10 5s2 5p2 |
| Atomic Radius | 145.0 pm |
| Covalent Radius | 139.0 pm |
| Van der Waals Radius | 217.0 pm |
Discovery
| Discovered By | Known since antiquity |
| Location | Various |
| Named After | Anglo-Saxon 'tin'; symbol Sn from Latin 'stannum' |
About Tin
Tin is a soft, pliable, silvery-white metal. It has two allotropes: white (metallic) and gray tin. Below 13.2 degrees C, white tin slowly converts to gray tin ('tin pest'). It was a key component of bronze.
Uses & Applications
Tin plating, solder, bronze and pewter alloys, and organotin PVC stabilizers.
Fun Fact
In extreme cold, tin undergoes 'tin pest' -- a phase change that reportedly destroyed Napoleon's soldiers' buttons during the Russian campaign.
Isotopes
| Mass Number | Abundance | Half-Life | Stable |
| 116 | 0.1454% | - | Yes |
| 118 | 0.2422% | - | Yes |
| 119 | 0.0863% | - | Yes |
| 120 | 0.3258% | - | Yes |
Electron Configuration
[Kr] 4d10 5s2 5p2