Wikijunior:The Elements/Tin

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Shows the position of Tin on the periodic chart.
Tin's symbol on the Periodic Table

What does it look, feel, or taste like?[edit | edit source]

A metal cube of Tin

Tin is a silvery metal that has been known since ancient times.

Where is it found?[edit | edit source]

The most tin is mined in China, followed by Indonesia, Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil. There are reports that new deposits of tin have been discovered in Mongolia.

What are its uses?[edit | edit source]

Tin is used in making solder — metal alloy with a low melting point, for joining electric circuits and plumbing joints. Tin plating is used on cans used for preserving food, which are then called "tin cans" although they are actually steel with tin plating on the surface. Tin is also used in making the metal alloys brass and bronze.

Did You Know?

  • Tin was used, with copper, in the first metal alloy made by humans, bronze, about five thousand years ago.