Tin
Fun Facts!
Availability and Uses of Tin
History of Tin
Symbol- Sn
"Tin cry" is the cracking sound that tin makes when it is bent. This occurs due to the twinning of its highly crystalline structure; not to be confused with the term used to say the tin man is crying!
Atomic Number 50
Tin is a silvery, white solid.
There is a 0.00022% abundance of tin in the Earth’s crust, but it is commonly used here on Earth. The well rounded possibilities for the use of tin and it’s vast history make it one of the most known elements on the periodic table.
The element tin is one of the oldest known metals on the periodic table. It has been known and used since ancient ages, with it’s discoverer being unknown. However, what is known are it’s various roles that it played in history.
The compound that tin forms, stannous fluoride, is often used in toothpaste.
The tin man in The Wizard of Oz was not actually wearing the element tin. The producers of the movie originally tried covering the actor with tin, silvery paper, and silver cloth-covered cardboard. After many different trials, they finally decided to use white face paint coated with aluminum dust. Wrong element!
The atomic symbol for tin is Sn, which comes from the word stannum. The Latin name stannum is connected to "stagnum" and "stag", which means dripping because tin melts and then drips easily. Stannum was mostly used as a name for an alloy of Lead and Silver. It was not until the sixth century that it was it applied to tin and commonly used in that sense.
Density- 7.31 g/centimeters cubed
Melting point- 449.5 F
Boiling point- 4,715.6 F
Atomic Mass- 118.71 amu
Electron Configuration:
1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p2
With that being said, it can be known that tin is not highly reactive.
It is believed that people used to extract tin like the way gold is panned for in sand or gravel.
When copper was alloyed with tin it produced bronze, a metal that was ideal for tools and weapons. Around 5,000 years ago, the mining and incorporating of tin with copper to create bronze began. This use of tin marked the beginning of the Bronze Age, which is known as a stage of human and civilization development. Early man learned to mix tin with copper and kicked off what is now called the Bronze Age. Two softer metals when combined became stronger. This was the first alloy.
The importance of tin increased quickly once it’s potential and diversity in making tools, weapons, and even jewelery was discovered.
Tin’s presence as a metal is mentioned in the Old Testament. Joseph of Arimathea, the person who is said to have donated his tomb to Jesus Christ, was said to be a tin merchant.