Tin
Tin (Sn) is element 50, a post-transition metal in group 14, period 5, with an atomic mass of 118.71 u. It is a solid at room temperature and melts at 231.93 °C. Its electron configuration is [Kr] 5s² 4d¹⁰ 5p².
Tin is a soft, silvery-white metal that played an outsized role in early human history — alloying it with copper to make bronze gave the Bronze Age its name. It resists corrosion well, is easy to melt and shape, and bending a bar of it produces a distinctive crackling sound known as the "tin cry."
- Group · Period
- 14 · 5
- At room temp
- solid
- Melts at
- 505.08 K
- Density
- 7.287 g/cm³
- Discovered
- Ancient
Key facts about tin
Quick answers, built from the sourced data in the property tables.
- What is the electron configuration of tin?
- The electron configuration of tin is [Kr] 5s² 4d¹⁰ 5p². Written out in full, that is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 5s² 4d¹⁰ 5p².
- What is the density of tin?
- The density of tin is 7.287 g/cm³.
- What are the melting and boiling points of tin?
- Tin melts at 505.08 K (231.93 °C, 449.47 °F) and boils at 2875 K (2601.85 °C, 4715.33 °F).
- What is the electron affinity of tin?
- The electron affinity of tin is 1.2 eV, which is about 115.8 kJ/mol.
- How many stable isotopes does tin have?
- Tin has 10 stable isotopes: Sn-112 (0.97%), Sn-114 (0.66%), Sn-115 (0.34%), Sn-116 (14.54%), Sn-117 (7.68%), Sn-118 (24.22%), Sn-119 (8.59%), Sn-120 (32.58%), Sn-122 (4.63%), and Sn-124 (5.79%). Percentages are natural abundances.
Uses
Tin’s oldest and most historically important use is as the key ingredient in bronze, an alloy with copper that ancient civilizations discovered was far harder and more workable than either metal alone. Today, tin’s best-known job is protecting steel: a thin electroplated layer of tin on steel sheet — what most people call a “tin can” — keeps food and beverage containers from rusting, since tin resists corrosion much better than bare steel while still being safe to have in contact with food.
Tin is also a core ingredient in solder, the low-melting alloy used to join electrical components and pipework; lead-free solders based on tin, copper and silver have become standard in electronics as regulations have phased out older tin-lead formulas. It’s additionally used in pewter, a tin-based alloy long favored for tableware and decorative objects.
History
Tin has been used since antiquity, well before it could be credited to any single discoverer. Its major historical breakthrough came when ancient metalworkers, independently in several regions, learned to alloy tin with copper to make bronze — a harder, more durable material that gave its name to the Bronze Age and transformed toolmaking and warfare. Tin ore was valuable enough that it was traded across long distances in the ancient world, connecting regions that otherwise had little contact. Its chemical symbol, Sn, comes from its Latin name, stannum, reflecting how long the metal has been part of recorded human history.
Fun facts
- Alloying tin with copper produces bronze, one of the first engineered metal alloys in human history and the namesake of the Bronze Age.
- Bending a bar of pure tin produces an audible crackling sound called the tin cry, caused by crystals inside the metal shifting against each other.
- So-called tin cans are actually made mostly of steel, with only a thin coating of tin applied to stop the steel underneath from rusting.
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Frequently asked questions
Are tin cans actually made of tin?
Not mostly, no. A "tin can" is really a steel can with a very thin layer of tin plated onto it. The steel provides the strength and keeps costs low, while the tin coating stops the steel from corroding when it contacts food, since tin resists rusting far better than bare steel does.
What causes the 'tin cry' sound?
Pure tin is made of large crystal grains, and when a bar of it is bent, those crystals deform by shifting into new orientations called twins. Each tiny shift releases a small crack of sound, and many of these happening in quick succession produce the audible crackling "cry" that tin is known for.
Why was tin so important before modern chemistry existed?
On its own, tin is soft and not especially useful for tools. But mixed with copper in roughly the right proportions, it produces bronze — a much harder, more durable metal that could be cast into sharp, long-lasting tools and weapons. That discovery, made independently by several ancient cultures, was significant enough to define an entire era of human technology.
Compounds
4 notable compounds containing Sn
- SnCl2halide
Tin(II) chloride
A white crystalline reducing agent, also called stannous chloride, that readily oxidizes to tin(IV) when exposed to air or moisture.
Used for: Reducing agent in chemical analysis and tin-based mirror silvering
- SnF2halide
Tin(II) fluoride
A water-soluble tin salt, commonly called stannous fluoride, that delivers fluoride ions to strengthen tooth enamel against decay.
Used for: Active ingredient in fluoride toothpaste
- SnCl4halide
Tin(IV) chloride
A colorless, fuming liquid, also known as stannic chloride, that reacts vigorously with water and was once used as a smoke-screen agent.
Used for: Catalyst in organic synthesis and precursor for tin oxide coatings
- SnO2oxide
Tin(IV) oxide
A hard, chemically stable oxide that occurs naturally as the mineral cassiterite, the principal ore from which tin metal is extracted.
Used for: Ore of tin metal and abrasive/polishing compound
Isotopes
42 known isotopes
Swipe to see all columns →
| Isotope | Natural abundance | Half-life | Decay mode | Mass excess | Binding energy / nucleon | Decay width | Spin/parity | Magnetic moment | Quadrupole moment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sn-112 stable | 0.97% | Stable | — | -88,655.05 keV | 8,513.62 keV | — | 0+ | 0.3 μN | 0.04 b |
| Sn-114 stable | 0.66% | Stable | — | -90,559.74 keV | 8,522.57 keV | — | 0+ | 0.22 μN | 0.09 b |
| Sn-115 stable | 0.34% | Stable | — | -90,033.85 keV | 8,514.07 keV | — | 1/2+ | -0.9174 μN | -0.26 b |
| Sn-116 stable | 14.54% | Stable | — | -91,525.98 keV | 8,523.12 keV | — | 0+ | 0.01 μN | 0.17 b |
| Sn-117 stable | 7.68% | Stable | — | -90,397.74 keV | 8,509.61 keV | — | 1/2+ | -0.9995 μN | -0.42 b |
| Sn-118 stable | 24.22% | Stable | — | -91,652.84 keV | 8,516.53 keV | — | 0+ | — | — |
| Sn-119 stable | 8.59% | Stable | — | -90,064.99 keV | 8,499.45 keV | — | 1/2+ | -1.0459 μN | -0.132 b |
| Sn-120 stable | 32.58% | Stable | — | -91,097.74 keV | 8,504.49 keV | — | 0+ | — | — |
| Sn-122 stable | 4.63% | Stable | — | -89,939.95 keV | 8,487.9 keV | — | 0+ | -0.09 μN | -0.08 b |
| Sn-124 stable | 5.79% | Stable | — | -88,231.48 keV | 8,467.4 keV | — | 0+ | -0.19 μN | -0.08 b |
| Sn-99 | — | 760 ns | Electron capture / beta-plus decay, ECP | -47,976 keV | 8,161 keV | 6.00 × 10-10 eV | — | — | — |
| Sn-100 | — | 1.18 s | Electron capture / beta-plus decay (100%), ECP (17%) | -57,148.15 keV | 8,251.63 keV | 3.87 × 10-16 eV | 0+ | — | — |
| Sn-101 | — | 1.7 s | Electron capture / beta-plus decay (100%), ECP (26%) | -60,305.62 keV | 8,281.1 keV | 2.68 × 10-16 eV | (5/2+) | — | — |
| Sn-102 | — | 3.8 s | Electron capture / beta-plus decay (100%) | -64,934.9 keV | 8,324.43 keV | 1.20 × 10-16 eV | 0+ | — | — |
| Sn-103 | — | 7.0 s | Electron capture / beta-plus decay (100%), ECP (1.2%) | -67,092 keV | 8,343 keV | 6.52 × 10-17 eV | (5/2+) | — | — |
| Sn-104 | — | 20.8 s | Electron capture / beta-plus decay (100%) | -71,627.06 keV | 8,383.91 keV | 2.19 × 10-17 eV | 0+ | — | — |
| Sn-105 | — | 32.7 s | Electron capture / beta-plus decay (100%), Beta-plus, proton emission (0.011%) | -73,338 keV | 8,397.23 keV | 1.40 × 10-17 eV | (5/2+) | — | — |
| Sn-106 | — | 115 s | Electron capture / beta-plus decay (100%) | -77,353.7 keV | 8,432.04 keV | 3.97 × 10-18 eV | 0+ | — | — |
| Sn-107 | — | 2.90 m | Electron capture / beta-plus decay (100%) | -78,512.24 keV | 8,439.49 keV | 2.62 × 10-18 eV | (5/2+) | — | — |
| Sn-108 | — | 10.30 m | Electron capture / beta-plus decay (100%) | -82,069.95 keV | 8,469.03 keV | 7.38 × 10-19 eV | 0+ | -0.24 μN | — |
| Sn-109 | — | 18.1 m | Electron capture / beta-plus decay (100%) | -82,630.18 keV | 8,470.52 keV | 4.20 × 10-19 eV | 5/2+ | -1.078 μN | 0.33 b |
| Sn-110 | — | 4.154 h | Electron capture (100%) | -85,841.99 keV | 8,496.09 keV | 3.05 × 10-20 eV | 0+ | 0.07 μN | 0.3 b |
| Sn-111 | — | 35.3 m | Electron capture / beta-plus decay (100%) | -85,938.58 keV | 8,493.13 keV | 2.15 × 10-19 eV | 7/2+ | 0.607 μN | 0.2 b |
| Sn-113 | — | 115.09 d | Electron capture / beta-plus decay (100%) | -88,328.13 keV | 8,506.81 keV | 4.59 × 10-23 eV | 1/2+ | -0.8777 μN | -0.41 b |
| Sn-121 | — | 27.03 h | Beta-minus decay (100%) | -89,196.63 keV | 8,485.2 keV | 4.69 × 10-21 eV | 3/2+ | 0.6969 μN | -0.02 b |
| Sn-123 | — | 129.2 d | Beta-minus decay (100%) | -87,814.68 keV | 8,467.23 keV | 4.09 × 10-23 eV | 11/2- | -1.3682 μN | 0.03 b |
| Sn-125 | — | 9.64 d | Beta-minus decay (100%) | -85,893.66 keV | 8,445.53 keV | 5.48 × 10-22 eV | 11/2- | -1.346 μN | 0.2 b |
| Sn-126 | — | 2.18E+5 Y | Beta-minus decay (100%) | -86,015.14 keV | 8,443.52 keV | 6.63 × 10-29 eV | 0+ | -0.24 μN | 0 b |
| Sn-127 | — | 2.10 h | Beta-minus decay (100%) | -83,469.58 keV | 8,420.55 keV | 6.03 × 10-20 eV | 11/2- | -1.327 μN | 0.32 b |
| Sn-128 | — | 59.07 m | Beta-minus decay (100%) | -83,361.43 keV | 8,416.97 keV | 1.29 × 10-19 eV | 0+ | -0.46 μN | — |
| Sn-129 | — | 2.23 m | Beta-minus decay (100%) | -80,590.6 keV | 8,392.82 keV | 3.41 × 10-18 eV | 3/2+ | 0.753 μN | 0.05 b |
| Sn-130 | — | 3.72 m | Beta-minus decay (100%) | -80,132.22 keV | 8,386.82 keV | 2.04 × 10-18 eV | 0+ | — | — |
| Sn-131 | — | 56.0 s | Beta-minus decay (100%) | -77,264.58 keV | 8,362.52 keV | 8.15 × 10-18 eV | (3/2+) | 0.746 μN | -0.04 b |
| Sn-132 | — | 39.7 s | Beta-minus decay (100%) | -76,546.55 keV | 8,354.87 keV | 1.15 × 10-17 eV | 0+ | — | — |
| Sn-133 | — | 1.46 s | Beta-minus decay (100%), Beta-minus, neutron emission (0.0294%) | -70,873.89 keV | 8,310.09 keV | 3.12 × 10-16 eV | 7/2- | — | — |
| Sn-134 | — | 1.050 s | Beta-minus decay (100%), Beta-minus, neutron emission (17%) | -66,433.76 keV | 8,275.17 keV | 4.35 × 10-16 eV | 0+ | — | — |
| Sn-135 | — | 515 ms | Beta-minus decay (100%), Beta-minus, neutron emission (21%), B-2N | -60,632.25 keV | 8,230.69 keV | 8.86 × 10-16 eV | (7/2-) | — | — |
| Sn-136 | — | 345 ms | Beta-minus decay (100%), Beta-minus, neutron emission (27%) | -56,170 keV | 8,197 keV | 1.32 × 10-15 eV | 0+ | — | — |
| Sn-137 | — | 190 ms | Beta-minus decay (100%), Beta-minus, neutron emission (58%) | -50,150 keV | 8,152 keV | 2.40 × 10-15 eV | — | — | — |
| Sn-138 | — | 140 ms | Beta-minus decay (100%), Beta-minus, neutron emission (36%), B-2N | -45,510 keV | 8,118 keV | 3.26 × 10-15 eV | 0+ | — | — |
| Sn-139 | — | 130 ms | Beta-minus decay (100%), Beta-minus, neutron emission, B-3N | -39,310 keV | 8,073 keV | 3.51 × 10-15 eV | — | — | — |
| Sn-140 | — | — | Beta-minus decay (100%), Beta-minus, neutron emission, B-2N | -34,490 keV | 8,038 keV | — | 0+ | — | — |
Spin/parity describes the nucleus's intrinsic angular momentum and symmetry. Magnetic moment (in nuclear magnetons, μN) and quadrupole moment (in barns, b) describe the shape of the nucleus's charge distribution — a nonzero quadrupole moment means the nucleus isn't perfectly spherical. These are only measured for a subset of isotopes, mostly stable or long-lived ones, so many rows show "—" rather than a value.