TIN

 

Name:

Tin, from the Latin of Stannum

Symbol:

Sn

 

Atomic Number:

50

 

Atomic Mass:

118.71

 

Density:

7.31g/cc @ 300K

 

State of Element:

Solid

 

2 Chemical Properties:

1.   Tin is resistant to sea, distilled, or soft tap water.  However, it will corrode in strong acids, alkalis, and acid salts.

2.   Oxygen accelerates Tin’s rates of corrosion

 

2 Physical Properties:

1.   Tin has a melting point of 231.97ºC and a boiling point of 2270ºC

2.   Tin is a metal that is malleable and silvery-white which also has a high polish

 

2 Uses:

1.   A compound of tin and fluorine (SnF₅) is used in some toothpaste.

2.   Tin is used in the manufacture of super conducting magnets.

 

Sources of the Element:

The primary source of tin is cassiterite (SnO₂) and stannine (Cu₂FeSnS₄).  Tin is found mainly in Malaya and Indonesia, Zaire and Nigeria, and Bolivia and Thailand.  Reducing its ore with coal in a reverberatory furnace forms the pure metal.

 

Something “WOW” about your element:

When a bar of tin is bent, the crystals break, which produces a sound or characteristic which is now known as the ‘tin cry’.