Discovery date : approx 2100BC
Discovered by: -
Origin of the name: The name comes from the Anglo-Saxon 'tin'.
Allotropes : White Sn, Gray Sn, Rhombic Sn
~>TIN is a chemical element with symbol Sn (from Latin: stannum) and atomic number 50. It is a post-transition metal in group 14 of the periodic table. It is obtained chiefly from the mineral cassiterite, which contains tin dioxide, SnO2. Tin shows a chemical similarity to both of its neighbors in group 14, germanium and lead.
| FACT BOX | |||
| Group | 14 | Melting point | 231.928°C, 449.47°F, 505.078 K |
| Period | 5 | Boiling point | 2586°C, 4687°F, 2859 K |
| Block | p | Density (g cm−3) | 7.287 |
| Atomic number | 50 | Relative atomic mass | 118.710 |
| State at 20°C | Solid | Key isotopes | 120Sn |
| Electron configuration | [Kr] 4d105s25p2 | CAS number | 7440-31-5 |
| ChemSpider ID | 4509318 | ChemSpider is a free chemical structure database | |
Tin had a direct impact on human history mainly on account of bronze, although it could be used in its own right, witness a tin ring and pilgrim bottle found in an Egyptian tomb of the eighteenth dynasty (1580–1350 BC). The Chinese were mining tin around 700 BC in the province of Yunnan. Pure tin has also been found at Machu Picchu, the mountain citadel of the Incas.
When copper was alloyed with around 5 per cent of tin it produced bronze, which not only melted at a lower temperature, so making it easier to work, but produced a metal that was much harder, and ideal for tools and weapons. The Bronze Age is now a recognised stage in the development of civilisation. How bronze was discovered we do not know, but the peoples of Egypt, Mesopotamia, and the Indus valley started using it around 3000 BC.