Tin (Sn)
post-transition-metalSolid
Standard Atomic Weight
118.71 uElectron configuration
[Kr] 5s2 4d10 5p2Melting point
231.93 °C (505.08 K)Boiling point
2601.85 °C (2875 K)Density
7287 kg/m³Oxidation states
−4, −3, −2, −1, 0, +1, +2, +3, +4Electronegativity (Pauling)
1.96Ionization energy (1st)
Discovery year
N/AAtomic radius
145 pmDetails
Tin is a post-transition metal in group 14, known for its low melting point, resistance to ordinary corrosion, and ability to form useful alloys and coatings. It occurs chiefly as cassiterite, a tin dioxide mineral, and has been worked since antiquity, especially in bronze. Chemically it is less reactive than many base metals but readily forms compounds in the +2 and +4 oxidation states, with organotin chemistry being especially important and sometimes hazardous.
Ordinary tin is composed of nine stable isotopes; 18 unstable isotopes are also known. Ordinary tin is a silver-white metal, is malleable, somewhat ductile, and has a highly crystalline structure. Due to the breaking of these crystals, a "tin cry" is heard when a bar is bent.
The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon tin of unknown origin. The symbol Sn is derived from Latin stannum for alloys containing lead. The element was known in prehistoric times.
Archaeological evidence suggests that people have been using tin for at least 5500 years. Tin is primarily obtained from the mineral cassiterite (SnO2) and is extracted by roasting cassiterite in a furnace with carbon. Tin makes up only about 0.001% of the earth's crust and is chiefly mined in Malaysia. Two allotropes of tin occur near room temperature. The first form of tin is called gray tin and is stable at temperatures below 13.2°C (55.76°F). There are few, if any, uses for gray tin. At temperatures above 13.2°C, gray tin slowly turns into tin's second form, white tin. White tin is the normal form of the metal and has many uses. Unfortunately, white tin will turn into gray tin if its temperature falls below 13.2°C. This change can be prevented if small amounts of antimony or bismuth are added to white tin.
The Latin word for tin is stannum. Known to the ancients.
Images
Properties
Physical
- Atomic radius (empirical)
- 145 pm
- Covalent radius
- 139 pm
- Van der Waals radius
- 217 pm
- Metallic radius
- 142 pm
- Density
- Molar volume
- 0.0163 L/mol
- Phase at STP
- solid
- Melting point
- 231.93 °C
- Boiling point
- 2601.85 °C
- Thermal conductivity
- 66.8 W/(m·K)
- Specific heat capacity
- 0.227 J/(g·K)
- Molar heat capacity
- 26.99 J/(mol·K)
- Crystal structure
- tetragonal
Chemical
- Electronegativity (Pauling)
- 1.96
- Electronegativity (Allen)
- 1.824
- Electron affinity
- Ionization energy (1st)
- Ionization energy (2nd)
- Ionization energy (3rd)
- Ionization energy (4th)
- Ionization energy (5th)
- Oxidation states
- −4, −3, −2, −1, 0, +1, +2, +3, +4
- Valence electrons
- 4
- Allotropes
- ["gray", "white"]
- Electron configuration
Thermodynamic
- Heat of fusion
- 0.07286107 eV
- Heat of vaporization
- 3.067834 eV
- Heat of sublimation
- 3.131057 eV
- Heat of atomization
- 3.131057 eV
- Atomization enthalpy
Nuclear
- Protons
- 50
- Neutrons
- 70
- Known isotopes
- 42
- Stable isotopes
- 9
- Most stable isotope
- Sn-120
Abundance
- Abundance (Earth's crust)
- 2.3 mg/kg
- Abundance (ocean)
Crystal Structure
- Lattice constant a
- 582 pm
Electronic Structure
- Electrons per shell
- 2, 8, 18, 18, 4
Identifiers
- CAS number
- 7440-31-5
- Term symbol
- InChI
- InChI=1S/Sn
- InChI Key
- ATJFFYVFTNAWJD-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Electron Configuration Measured
Sn: 4d¹⁰ 5s² 5p²[Kr] 4d¹⁰ 5s² 5p²1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 5s² 5p²Atomic model
Isotopes change neutron count, mass, and stability — not the electron configuration of a neutral atom.
Schematic atomic model, not to scale.
Atomic Fingerprint
Emission / Absorption Spectrum
Isotope Distribution
| Mass number | Atomic mass (u) | Natural abundance | Half-life |
|---|---|---|---|
| 112 Stable | 111.90482387 ± 0.00000061 | 0.9700% | Stable |
| 114 Stable | 113.9027827 ± 0.000001 | 0.6600% | Stable |
| 115 Stable | 114.903344699 ± 0.000000016 | 0.3400% | Stable |
| 116 Stable | 115.9017428 ± 0.0000001 | 14.5400% | Stable |
| 117 Stable | 116.90295398 ± 0.00000052 | 7.6800% | Stable |
| 118 Stable | 117.90160657 ± 0.00000054 | 24.2200% | Stable |
| 119 Stable | 118.90331117 ± 0.00000078 | 8.5900% | Stable |
| 120 Stable | 119.90220163 ± 0.00000097 | 32.5800% | Stable |
Phase / State
Reason: 206.9 °C below melting point (231.93 °C)
Schematic, not to scale
Phase transition points
Transition energies
Energy required to melt 1 mol at melting point
Energy required to vaporize 1 mol at boiling point
Energy required to sublime 1 mol at sublimation point
Density
At standard conditions
At standard conditions
Atomic Spectra
Showing 10 of 50 Atomic Spectra. Sorted by ion charge (ascending).
Lines Holdings ?
| Ion | Charge | Total lines | Transition probabilities | Level designations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sn I | 0 | 227 | 55 | 226 |
| Sn II | +1 | 215 | 141 | 215 |
| Sn III | +2 | 259 | 0 | 259 |
| Sn IV | +3 | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| Sn V | +4 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
Levels Holdings ?
| Ion | Charge | Levels |
|---|---|---|
| Sn I | 0 | 228 |
| Sn II | +1 | 77 |
| Sn III | +2 | 86 |
| Sn IV | +3 | 24 |
| Sn V | +4 | 26 |
| Sn VI | +5 | 37 |
| Sn VII | +6 | 2 |
| Sn VIII | +7 | 2 |
| Sn IX | +8 | 2 |
| Sn X | +9 | 2 |
Crystal structure data not available
Crystal structure: tetragonal
Ionic Radii
| Charge | Coordination | Spin | Radius |
|---|---|---|---|
| +4 | 4 | N/A | 55.00000000000001 pm |
| +4 | 5 | N/A | 62 pm |
| +4 | 6 | N/A | 69 pm |
| +4 | 7 | N/A | 75 pm |
| +4 | 8 | N/A | 81 pm |
Compounds
Isotopes (9)
| Mass number | Atomic mass (u) | Natural abundance | Half-life | Decay mode | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 112 Stable | 111.90482387 ± 0.00000061 | 0.9700% ± 0.0100% | Stable | stable | |
| 114 Stable | 113.9027827 ± 0.000001 | 0.6600% ± 0.0100% | Stable | stable | |
| 115 Stable | 114.903344699 ± 0.000000016 | 0.3400% ± 0.0100% | Stable | stable | |
| 116 Stable | 115.9017428 ± 0.0000001 | 14.5400% ± 0.0900% | Stable | stable | |
| 117 Stable | 116.90295398 ± 0.00000052 | 7.6800% ± 0.0700% | Stable | stable | |
| 118 Stable | 117.90160657 ± 0.00000054 | 24.2200% ± 0.0900% | Stable | stable | |
| 119 Stable | 118.90331117 ± 0.00000078 | 8.5900% ± 0.0400% | Stable | stable | |
| 120 Stable | 119.90220163 ± 0.00000097 | 32.5800% ± 0.0900% | Stable | stable | |
| 122 Stable | 121.9034438 ± 0.0000026 | 4.6300% ± 0.0300% | Stable | stable |
Spectral Lines
Showing 50 of 96 Spectral Lines. Only spectral lines with measured intensity are shown by default.
| Wavelength (nm) | Intensity | Ion stage | Type | Transition | Accuracy | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 556.19094 nm | 2700 | Sn II | emission | 5s2.6p 2P* → 5s2.6d 2D | Measured | NIST | |
| 579.88578 nm | 2700 | Sn II | emission | 5s2.5d 2D → 5s2.4f 2F* | Measured | NIST | |
| 558.88153 nm | 2600 | Sn II | emission | 5s2.5d 2D → 5s2.4f 2F* | Measured | NIST | |
| 645.35421 nm | 2500 | Sn II | emission | 5s2.6s 2S → 5s2.6p 2P* | Measured | NIST | |
| 452.47334 nm | 2200 | Sn I | emission | 5s2.5p2 1S → 5s2.5p.6s 1P* | Measured | NIST | |
| 533.23391 nm | 1600 | Sn II | emission | 5s2.6p 2P* → 5s2.6d 2D | Measured | NIST | |
| 607.97742 nm | 1400 | Sn II | emission | 5s2.4f 2F* → 5s2.6g 2G | Measured | NIST | |
| 684.41863 nm | 1300 | Sn II | emission | 5s2.6s 2S → 5s2.6p 2P* | Measured | NIST | |
| 719.07778 nm | 1100 | Sn II | emission | 5s2.6p 2P* → 5s2.7s 2S | Measured | NIST | |
| 666.11 nm | 1000 | Sn II | emission | 5s2.6d 2D → 5s2.6f 2F* | Measured | NIST | |
| 676.08103 nm | 840 | Sn II | emission | 5s2.6p 2P* → 5s2.7s 2S | Measured | NIST | |
| 656.851 nm | 830 | Sn II | emission | 5s2.9d 2D → 5s.5p.(3P*).5d 4P* | Measured | NIST | |
| 642.908 nm | 760 | Sn II | emission | 5s2.8s 2S → 5s.5p.(3P*).6s 2P* | Measured | NIST | |
| 723.005 nm | 670 | Sn II | emission | 5s2.7p 2P* → 5s2.8d 2D | Measured | NIST | |
| 690.47 nm | 538 | Sn III | emission | 4d10.5s.6d 3D → 4d10.5s.5f 3F* | Measured | NIST | |
| 731.417 nm | 500 | Sn II | emission | 5s2.7d 2D → 5s.5p.(3P*).6s 2P* | Measured | NIST | |
| 579.69075 nm | 490 | Sn II | emission | 5s2.5d 2D → 5s2.4f 2F* | Measured | NIST | |
| 707.93 nm | 485 | Sn III | emission | 4d10.5s.6d 3D → 4d10.5s.5f 3F* | Measured | NIST | |
| 738.71637 nm | 480 | Sn II | emission | 5s.5p2 2D → 5s2.6p 2P* | Measured | NIST | |
| 529.083 nm | 448 | Sn III | emission | 4d10.5s.5d 3D → 4d10.5s.6p 3P* | Measured | NIST | |
| 384.13749 nm | 440 | Sn II | emission | 5s2.6p 2P* → 5s2.8s 2S | Measured | NIST | |
| 536.929 nm | 421 | Sn III | emission | 4d10.5s.5d 3D → 4d10.5s.6p 3P* | Measured | NIST | |
| 601.34 nm | 419 | Sn III | emission | 4d10.5s.6s 1S → 4d10.5s.6p 3P* | Measured | NIST | |
| 624.113 nm | 380 | Sn II | emission | 5s2.6d 2D → 5s2.9p 2P* | Measured | NIST | |
| 740.827 nm | 380 | Sn II | emission | 5s2.7p 2P* → 5s2.8d 2D | Measured | NIST | |
| 719.9 nm | 373 | Sn III | emission | 4d10.5s.7p 3P* → 4d10.5s.7d 1D | Measured | NIST | |
| 507.26 nm | 360 | Sn II | emission | 5s2.4f 2F* → 5s2.7g 2G | Measured | NIST | |
| 429.433 nm | 340 | Sn II | emission | 5s2.4f 2F* → 5s2.9g 2G | Measured | NIST | |
| 433.013 nm | 309 | Sn III | emission | 4d10.5s.6s 3S → 4d10.5s.6p 1P* | Measured | NIST | |
| 502.038 nm | 302 | Sn III | emission | 4d10.5s.5d 3D → 4d10.5s.6p 3P* | Measured | NIST | |
| 534.881 nm | 271 | Sn III | emission | 4d10.5s.5d 3D → 4d10.5s.6p 3P* | Measured | NIST | |
| 563.16738 nm | 270 | Sn I | emission | 5s2.5p2 1S → 5s2.5p.6s 3P* | Measured | NIST | |
| 467.046 nm | 241 | Sn III | emission | 4d10.5s.5d 3D → 4d10.5s.6p 1P* | Measured | NIST | |
| 396.169 nm | 231 | Sn III | emission | 4d10.5s.6p 3P* → 4d10.5s.7s 3S | Measured | NIST | |
| 522.464 nm | 225 | Sn III | emission | 4d10.5s.6s 1S → 4d10.5s.6p 1P* | Measured | NIST | |
| 411.13 nm | 180 | Sn II | emission | 5s2.4f 2F* → 5s2.10g 2G | Measured | NIST | |
| 390.698 nm | 170 | Sn III | emission | 4d10.5s.5d 1D → 4d10.4f.5s 1F* | Measured | NIST | |
| 471.558 nm | 164 | Sn III | emission | 4d10.5s.5d 3D → 4d10.5s.6p 1P* | Measured | NIST | |
| 494.42561 nm | 150 | Sn II | emission | 5s2.5d 2D → 5s2.7p 2P* | Measured | NIST | |
| 510.022 nm | 145 | Sn III | emission | 4d10.5s.5d 3D → 4d10.5s.6p 3P* | Measured | NIST | |
| 458.025 nm | 140 | Sn II | emission | 5s2.4f 2F* → 5s2.8g 2G | Measured | NIST | |
| 614.96038 nm | 140 | Sn I | emission | 5s2.5p.6s 3P* → 5s2.5p.7p 3D | Measured | NIST | |
| 492.435 nm | 131 | Sn III | emission | 4d10.5s.6s 3S → 4d10.5s.6p 3P* | Measured | NIST | |
| 457.432 nm | 120 | Sn II | emission | 5s2.4f 2F* → 5s2.10d 2D | Measured | NIST | |
| 487.7209 nm | 100 | Sn II | emission | 5s2.5d 2D → 5s2.7p 2P* | Measured | NIST | |
| 606.91169 nm | 95 | Sn I | emission | 5s2.5p.6s 3P* → 5s2.5p.7p 3P | Measured | NIST | |
| 457.553 nm | 91 | Sn II | emission | 5s2.4f 2F* → 5s2.10d 2D | Measured | NIST | |
| 461.82363 nm | 90 | Sn II | emission | 5s.5p2 4P → 5s2.6p 2P* | Measured | NIST | |
| 485.827 nm | 89 | Sn III | emission | 4d10.5s.6s 3S → 4d10.5s.6p 3P* | Measured | NIST | |
| 491.78 nm | 83 | Sn II | emission | 5s2.7p 2P* → 5s2.11d 2D | Measured | NIST |
Extended Properties
Covalent Radii (Extended)
- Covalent radius (Pyykkö)
- Covalent radius (Pyykkö, double)
- Covalent radius (Pyykkö, triple)
- Covalent radius (Bragg)
Van der Waals Radii
- Bondi
- Batsanov
- Alvarez
- UFF
- MM3
- Dreiding
Atomic & Metallic Radii
- Atomic radius (Rahm)
- Metallic radius (C12)
Numbering Scales
- Mendeleev
- Pettifor
- Glawe
Electronegativity Scales
- Ghosh
- Miedema
- Gunnarsson–Lundqvist
- Robles–Bartolotti
Polarizability & Dispersion
- Dipole polarizability
- Dipole polarizability (unc.)
- C₆
- C₆ (Gould–Bučko)
Miedema Parameters
- Miedema molar volume
- Miedema electron density
Supply Risk & Economics
- Production concentration
- Relative supply risk
- Reserve distribution
- Political stability (top producer)
- Political stability (top reserve)
Phase Transitions & Allotropes
| Transition temperature | 286.35 K |
| Boiling point | 2859.15 K |
| Melting point | 505.08 K |
| Boiling point | 2859.15 K |
Oxidation State Categories
Advanced Reference Data
Screening Constants (11)
| n | Orbital | σ |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | s | 1.008 |
| 2 | p | 4.1146 |
| 2 | s | 13.1406 |
| 3 | d | 14.2583 |
| 3 | p | 17.6468 |
| 3 | s | 17.5802 |
| 4 | d | 32.03 |
| 4 | p | 28.7348 |
| 4 | s | 27.342 |
| 5 | p | 40.898 |
Crystal Radii Detail (5)
| Charge | CN | Spin | rcrystal (pm) | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | IV | 69 | from r^3 vs V plots, | |
| 4 | V | 76 | calculated, | |
| 4 | VI | 83 | from r^3 vs V plots, | |
| 4 | VII | 89 | ||
| 4 | VIII | 95 | calculated, |
Isotope Decay Modes (54)
| Isotope | Mode | Intensity |
|---|---|---|
| 99 | B+ | 100% |
| 99 | B+p | 5% |
| 100 | B+ | 100% |
| 100 | B+p | 17% |
| 101 | B+ | 100% |
| 101 | B+p | 21% |
| 102 | B+ | 100% |
| 103 | B+ | 100% |
| 103 | B+p | 1.2% |
| 104 | B+ | 100% |
X‑ray Scattering Factors (510)
| Energy (eV) | f₁ | f₂ |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | — | 3.97344 |
| 10.1617 | — | 3.94095 |
| 10.3261 | — | 3.90871 |
| 10.4931 | — | 3.87675 |
| 10.6628 | — | 3.84504 |
| 10.8353 | — | 3.81359 |
| 11.0106 | — | 3.7824 |
| 11.1886 | — | 3.75146 |
| 11.3696 | — | 3.72078 |
| 11.5535 | — | 3.64688 |
Additional Data
Estimated Crustal Abundance
The estimated element abundance in the earth's crust.
2.3 milligrams per kilogram
References (1)
Estimated Oceanic Abundance
The estimated element abundance in the earth's oceans.
4×10-6 milligrams per liter
References (1)
Sources
Sources of this element.
Tin is found chiefly in cassiterite (SnO2). Most of the world's supply comes from Malaya, Bolivia, Indonesia, Zaire, Thailand, and Nigeria. The U.S. produces almost none, although occurrences have been found in Alaska and California. Tin is obtained by reducing the ore with coal in a reverberatory furnace.
References (1)
References
(9)
Data deposited in or computed by PubChem
The half-life and atomic mass data was provided by the Atomic Mass Data Center at the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Element data are cited from the Atomic weights of the elements (an IUPAC Technical Report). The IUPAC periodic table of elements can be found at https://iupac.org/what-we-do/periodic-table-of-elements/. Additional information can be found within IUPAC publication doi:10.1515/pac-2015-0703 Copyright © 2020 International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry.
The information are cited from Pure Appl. Chem. 2018; 90(12): 1833-2092, https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2015-0703.
Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab) is one of 17 national laboratories funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. The lab's primary mission is to conduct basic research of the atom's nucleus using the lab's unique particle accelerator, known as the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF). For more information visit https://www.jlab.org/
The periodic table at the LANL (Los Alamos National Laboratory) contains basic element information together with the history, source, properties, use, handling and more. The provenance data may be found from the link under the source name.
The periodic table contains NIST's critically-evaluated data on atomic properties of the elements. The provenance data that include data for atomic spectroscopy, X-ray and gamma ray, radiation dosimetry, nuclear physics, and condensed matter physics may be found from the link under the source name. Ref: https://www.nist.gov/pml/atomic-spectra-database
This section provides all form of data related to element Tin.
The element property data was retrieved from publications.
