Post-transition metals
Tin
An ancient metal of bronze, solder, and tin cans.
Atomic #50Mass118.71Blockp-blockPeriod5Group14
Sn50 · 118.71
3D Atom Explorer
Inside the Tin atom
Switch between Bohr and Quantum Cloud modes to compare a simple teaching model with a more realistic probability-based view, and follow the guided tour to explore the Tin atom step by step.
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Electron configuration
[Kr] 4d10 5s2 5p2
A neutral Tin atom has 50 electrons (equal to its proton count). Choosing a different isotope above changes only the neutron count.
Shell distribution
Shell 12 e⁻Shell 28 e⁻Shell 318 e⁻Shell 418 e⁻Shell 54 e⁻
Electrons fill inner shells before outer ones; the outermost (valence) shell drives the element's chemistry.
Properties
Physical & atomic properties
- State (room temp)
- Solid
- Melting point
- 505 K (232 °C)
- Boiling point
- 2875 K (2602 °C)
- Density
- 7.287 g/cm³
- Electronegativity
- 1.96 Pauling
- Atomic radius
- 145 pm
- 1st ionization energy
- 709 kJ/mol
- Category
- Post-transition metals
History
Discovery & naming
- Discovered
- Antiquity
- Discovered by
- Known since antiquity
- Origin of name
- Anglo-Saxon 'tin'; symbol from Latin 'stannum'.
Notable uses
Solder, tin plating, and bronze alloys.
Cosmic origin
Where Tin comes from
Stellar fusion and dying stars
Its many stable isotopes make it a favoured landing spot for slow neutron capture in dying stars.
Simplified origin map — many elements form through more than one astrophysical pathway.
Summary
- Atomic number
- 50
- Atomic mass
- 118.71
- Category
- Post-transition metals
- Group · Period
- 14 · 5
- Block
- p-block
- Shells
- 2 · 8 · 18 · 18 · 4