Tin Facts for Kids

Tin - Periodic Table of Elements
  • Name: Tin
  • Symbol: Sn
  • Atomic Number: 50
  • Atomic Weight: 118.71 u
  • Period: 5
  • Group: 14

28 Tin Facts for Kids

  1. Tin is a chemical element on the periodic table.
  2. Tin is a metal that is soft, ductile and malleable.
  3. Tin has a silvery-white color in its pure form.
  4. The symbol for tin is Sn.
  5. The atomic number for tin is 50.
  6. The standard atomic weight for tin is 118.71 u.
  7. Tin is a solid at room temperature.
  8. Tin is in the post-transition metal element category on the periodic table.
  9. Tin is a period 5 chemical element, which is the firth row on the periodic table.
  10. Tin is a group 14 chemical element, which is the carbon group.
  11. Tin is in the p-block on the periodic table of elements.
  12. The electron configuration for tin is [Kr] 4d10 5s2 5p2.
  13. The electrons per shell for tin are 2, 8, 18, 18, 4.
  14. Tin has 10 known stable isotopes.
  15. The 10 stable isotopes for tin are 112Sn, 114Sn, 115Sn, 116Sn, 117Sn, 118Sn, 119Sn, 120Sn, 122Sn and 124Sn.
  16. The stable isotope 120Sn is the most abundant on Earth.
  17. The melting point for tin is 449.47 °F (231.93 °C).
  18. The boiling point for tin is 4,716 °F (2,602 °C).
  19. It’s estimated that tin was first discovered around 3,500 BC.
  20. Tin is the 49th most abundant element found in the Earth’s crust.
  21. Cassiterite (SnO2) is the primary source of tin for commercial use.
  22. In 2011, the worldwide reserves for tin were estimated to be over 5.2 million tons.
  23. In 2011, China was estimated to have the largest reserves of tin with over 1.6 million tons.
  24. In 2011, China was the largest producer of tin with over 121,000 tons.
  25. A large majority of the tin produced is used for solder.
  26. Tin plating is used to prevent corrosion for lead, zinc and steel.
  27. Tin is a common element in a lot of metal alloys.
  28. A few examples of metal alloys that use tin are pewter, bronze and bell metal.

Additional Resources on the Chemical Element Tin

  • Tin – Learn more about the chemical element tin on the U.S. National Library of Medicine website.
  • Tin (Sn) – Discover more facts about tin on the Royal Society of Chemistry website.
  • Tin – Wikipedia – Find more tin facts on the Wikipedia website.

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