Quick answerTin (Sn) is a post-transition metal with atomic number 50 and an atomic mass of 118.71 (2023), in group 14, period 5. It has been known since ancient times. It is used for food can coatings and solder for electronics. Its electron configuration is [Kr] 4d10 5s2 5p2.
Tin is the metal that turned copper into bronze and launched the Bronze Age, and it still coats the steel in food cans so they do not rust. It solders the joints of nearly every circuit board, and its alloys, pewter and solder, have served craftsmen for millennia. Tin is also the metal that makes window glass perfectly flat, floated on a bath of molten tin.
Key facts
| Symbol | Sn |
|---|---|
| Atomic number | 50 |
| Atomic mass | 118.71 (IUPAC standard atomic weight, 2023) |
| Category | post-transition metal |
| Group | 14 |
| Period | 5 |
| Block | p-block |
| Electron configuration | [Kr] 4d10 5s2 5p2 |
| Discovered | Known since ancient times |
| Uses | food can coatings, solder for electronics, bronze and pewter alloys, float glass production, plating steel |
Overview
Tin is the metal that turned copper into bronze and launched the Bronze Age, and it still coats the steel in food cans so they do not rust. It has atomic number 50, an atomic mass of 118.71, and the electron configuration [Kr] 4d10 5s2 5p2, and it sits in group 14, period 5 of the periodic table. Tin has been known since ancient times, mined in Cornwall and traded across the ancient world, and no single discoverer is credited with it. Tin is soft, silvery and easy to shape, and it resists corrosion, which is why a thin layer of it lines food cans and coats steel. Its most important modern use is solder, the alloy that joins nearly every circuit board and copper pipe: solder melts at a low temperature and flows into joints, then sets hard. Tin alloys have served craftsmen for millennia: bronze with copper, pewter with lead and copper, and the solders of plumbers and electronics makers. Tin is also the metal that makes window glass perfectly flat: molten glass is floated on a bath of molten tin, a process that gives every modern window its smooth, distortion-free surface.
Frequently asked questions
What is tin used for?
Tin is mainly used as solder, the alloy that joins nearly every circuit board and copper pipe, and to coat steel food cans so they do not rust. Its alloys include bronze with copper and pewter with lead and copper. Tin is also used to make window glass perfectly flat, by floating molten glass on a bath of molten tin.
What is the symbol for tin?
The chemical symbol for tin is Sn, from its Latin name stannum, rather than from the English word tin. It has atomic number 50 and a standard atomic mass of 118.71, and it sits in group 14 and period 5. Tin has been known since ancient times, so no single person is credited with discovering it.
What is the atomic number of tin?
Tin has atomic number 50, so it is the fiftieth element in the periodic table. Its atom holds fifty protons and fifty electrons, and its standard atomic mass is 118.71. It is a post-transition metal in group 14 and period 5, with the electron configuration [Kr] 4d10 5s2 5p2, and it launched the Bronze Age.
Is tin a metal?
Yes, tin is a metal, a post-transition metal in group 14 of the periodic table. It is soft, silvery-white and easy to shape, and it resists corrosion, which is why it coats steel food cans. It melts at a low temperature, so its alloys are used as solder, and it has been known since ancient times.
What is bronze made of?
Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin, usually about nine parts copper to one part tin. Mixing tin into copper makes the metal harder and easier to cast, which is why bronze replaced stone and pure copper tools in the Bronze Age. Bronze is still used for bells, statues, bearings and ship fittings today.
Quick quiz
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Keep exploring
- Periodic table — all 118 elements
- Aluminium (Al) — another post-transition metal, atomic number 13
- Gallium (Ga) — another post-transition metal, atomic number 31
- Indium (In) — another post-transition metal, atomic number 49
- Thallium (Tl) — another post-transition metal, atomic number 81
- Lead (Pb) — another post-transition metal, atomic number 82
- Bismuth (Bi) — another post-transition metal, atomic number 83
- Polonium (Po) — another post-transition metal, atomic number 84
- Nihonium (Nh) — another post-transition metal, atomic number 113
- Flerovium (Fl) — another post-transition metal, atomic number 114
- Moscovium (Mc) — another post-transition metal, atomic number 115
- All post-transition metal elements — on the periodic table
Sources & last updated
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.