On the periodic table, tin is the element with the symbol Sn, derived from the Latin word “stannum.”
Tin has atomic number 50 and belongs to group 14, alongside carbon, silicon, germanium, lead, and flerovium. Its symbol is not based on the English spelling because many chemical symbols preserve older Latin or historical names. The abbreviation Sn comes from stannum, the Latin term associated with tin.
Tin is a soft, silvery metal that melts at about 231.9 °C. It has been used for thousands of years, especially in bronze, an alloy made primarily from copper and tin. Tin coatings also protect steel from corrosion; tin-plated steel is commonly called tinplate.
Tin has several allotropes. Ordinary metallic tin is called beta-tin, while gray alpha-tin forms at low temperatures. The transformation can cause “tin pest,” a change that historically damaged tin objects in very cold conditions. Sn is sometimes confused with symbols such as Ti for titanium or W for tungsten.