Why is this element important in everyday life?
Tin is a widely sought metal and is used in hundreds of industrial process throughout the world. In the form of tinplate, it is used as a protective coating for copper vessels, various metals used in the manufacture of tin cans, and similar articles. Tin is important in the production of the common alloys bronze (tin and copper) , solder (tin and lead), and type metal (tin, lead, and antimony). It is also used as an alloy with titanium in the aerospace industry and as an ingredient in some insecticides. Stannic sulfide, known also as mosaic gold, is used in powdered form for bronzing articles made of plaster of paris or wood.
The United States imports more than one-fifth of the average annual world productions of tin. Most of the worlds tin is produced by Malaysia, Brazil, Indonesia, Thailand, Bolivia, and Australia.
Where is this element found in nature?
Tin ranks 49th in abundance of the elements in the Earth's crust. The principal ore of tin is the mineral cassiterite (tinstone), SnO2, found abundantly in Cornwall and in Germany, the Malay Peninsula, Bolivia, Brazil, and Australia. In the United States workable deposits of tin have been found only on Alaska's Seward Peninsula. In the extraction of tin, the ore is first ground and washed to remove all impurities and then roasted to oxidize the sulfides of iron and copper. After a second washing, the ore is reduced by carbon in a reverberatory furnace; the molten tin that collects on the bottom is drawn off and molded into blocks known as block tin. In this form, the tin is resmelted at low temperatures; the impurities form an insoluble mass. Tin may also be purified form an insoluble mass. Tin may also be purified by electolysis.
What are the properties of the element?
General Characteristics =
Atomic Symbol = Sn
Period Number = 5
Group Number and Family Name =14,5
Atomic Number =50
Atomic Mass =118.69u
Density =7.31g/cm3
Melting Point =232 degrees Celsius
Boiling Point =2260 degrees Celsius
Electron Configuration =Sn-1s22s22p63s23p64s23d104p65s24d105p2
Shorthand No
tation =Sn-[Kr]5s24d105p2
Common Reactions =
Interesting Information =Tin has been found in the tombs of ancient Egyptians and was exported to Europe in large quantities from Cornwall, England, during the Roman period. The ancient Egyptians considered tin and lead different forms of the same metal..
Who is Tiny Tin ?
Tiny Tin was playing outside one blistering sunny day when he noticed that something was wrong. Tiny tin realized that he was undergoing some sort of change. Tiny Tin's mother Mama Tin immediately took Tiny to the doctors to get checked out. The doctor took one glance at Tiny and immediately diagnosed him with changing into an allotropic form known as gray tin. The doctor then explained to Tiny and his mother that this was a natural occurrence since the temperature outside had dropped below 55 degrees Fahrenheit. The doctor then told them how Tiny would now be known as a gray tin, which is an amorphous, grayish powder with a specific gravity of 5.57. The doctor then explained that this condition is known as tin disease or tin pest. The doctor then told Tiny that he will notice that when he bends he will notice a crackling sound called tin cry and not to worry because it is only the friction of the tin crystals. He then gave Tiny and his mother some pamphlets on the disease and sent them on their way.
