Tin Facts
Chemical Symbol Sn
Atomic number 50
Atomic weight 118.71
Tin is a malleable, ductile and highly crystalline silvery-white metal.
Has no smell or no taste
Tin is classified as a post-transition metal.
The chemical symbol for tin is Sn, which derived from the Latin word "stannum".
Tin is used in many alloys. Bronze is an alloy of tin and copper. It is the first alloy used in large scale since 3000 BC.
Tin resists corrosion from water. Hence tin is used to coat metals to prevent them from corrosion.
Tin is a good conductor of electricity and heat.
When a bar of tin is bent, a crackling sound known as the tin cry can be heard due to the twinning of the crystals.
α-tin and β-tin, are allotropes of tin, more commonly known as gray tin and white tin, respectively.
In cold conditions, α-tin tends to transform spontaneously into β-tin, a phenomenon known as "tin pest".
Tin is used as a solder in the form of an alloy with lead.
Tin-plated steel containers are widely used for food preservation.