Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn (for Latin:stannum) and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows a chemical similarity to both neighboring group-14 elements, germanium and lead, and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4.
Three reasons Tin stands out
- 1
Used in cans, part of the common solder that holds electronic circuits together.
- 2
Below 13 °C it slowly crumbles from a shiny metal into a grey powder, a phenomenon historically called "tin pest."
- 3
The Bronze Age, a pivotal era in human history, was founded on an alloy of this metal and copper.
Two crystal forms, two very different metals
Ordinary white tin is a workable metal used in solder and protective coatings. At low temperatures it can slowly convert into crumbly gray tin, a transformation nicknamed tin pest. Alloying usually suppresses the change, while tin plating protects steel food cans from corrosion.