Compare Tin vs Mercury: Periodic Table Element Comparison Table and Properties
Compare the elements Tin and Mercury on the basis of their properties, attributes and periodic table facts. Compare elements - Tin and Mercury comparison table side by side across over 90 properties. All the elements of similar categories show a lot of similarities and differences in their chemical, atomic, physical properties and uses. These similarities and dissimilarities should be known while we study periodic table elements. You can study the detailed comparison between Tin vs Mercury with most reliable information about their properties, attributes, facts, uses etc. You can compare Sn vs Hg on more than 90 properties like electronegativity, oxidation state, atomic shells, orbital structure, Electronaffinity, physical states, electrical conductivity and many more. This in-depth comparison helps students, educators, researchers, and science enthusiasts understand the differences and similarities between Tin and Mercury.
Tin and Mercury Comparison
Here's a detailed comparison between Tin (Sn) and Mercury (Hg), focusing on their position in the periodic table, physical and chemical properties, stability, and uses.
Facts - Basic Element Details
| Name | Tin | Mercury |
|---|---|---|
| Atomic Number | 50 | 80 |
| Atomic Symbol | Sn | Hg |
| Atomic Weight | 118.71 | 200.59 |
| Phase at STP | Solid | Liquid |
| Color | Silver | Silver |
| Metallic Classification | Post Transition Metal | Transition Metal |
| Group in Periodic Table | group 14 | group 12 |
| Group Name | carbon family | zinc family |
| Period in Periodic Table | period 5 | period 6 |
| Block in Periodic Table | p -block | d -block |
| Electronic Configuration | [Kr] 4d10 5s2 5p2 | [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 |
| Electronic Shell Structure (Electrons per shell) | 2, 8, 18, 18, 4 | 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 2 |
| Melting Point | 505.08 K | 234.32 K |
| Boiling Point | 2875 K | 629.88 K |
| CAS Number | CAS7440-31-5 | CAS7439-97-6 |
| Neighborhood Elements | Neighborhood Elements of Tin | Neighborhood Elements of Mercury |
History
| Parameter | Tin | Mercury |
|---|---|---|
| History | The element Tin was discovered by Unknown in year 3500 BCE. Tin derived its name from English word (stannum in Latin). | The element Mercury was discovered by Indians/Chinese in year Before 2000 BCE. Mercury derived its name from the New Latin name mercurius, named after the Roman god (Hg from former name hydrargyrum, from Greek hydr-, 'water', and argyros, 'silver'). |
| Discovery | Unknown (3500 BCE) | Indians/Chinese (Before 2000 BCE) |
| Isolated | (2000 BCE) | Egypt (1500 BCE) |
Presence: Abundance in Nature and Around Us
Parts per billion (ppb) by weight / by atoms (1ppb =10^-7 %)
| Property | Tin | Mercury |
|---|---|---|
| Abundance in Universe | 4 / 0.04 | 1 / 0.006 |
| Abundance in Sun | 9 / 0.1 | 20 / 0.12 |
| Abundance in Meteorites | 1200 / 170 | 250 / 20 |
| Abundance in Earth's Crust | 2200 / 380 | 67 / 7 |
| Abundance in Oceans | 0.01 / 0.00052 | 0.05 / 0.0015 |
| Abundance in Humans | 200 / 11 | - / - |
Crystal Structure and Atomic Structure
| Property | Tin | Mercury |
|---|---|---|
| Atomic Volume | 16.239 cm3/mol | 14.09 cm3/mol |
| Atomic Radius | 145 pm | 171 pm |
| Covalent Radius | 141 pm | 149 pm |
| Van der Waals Radius | 217 pm | 155 pm |
Atomic Spectrum - Spectral Lines | ||
| Emission Spectrum | ![]() | ![]() |
| Absorption Spectrum | ![]() | ![]() |
| Lattice Constant | 583.18, 583.18, 318.19 pm | 300.5, 300.5, 300.5 pm |
| Lattice Angle | π/2, π/2, π/2 | 1.23081, 1.23081, 1.23081 |
| Space Group Name | I41/amd | R_ 3m |
| Space Group Number | 141 | 166 |
| Crystal Structure | Centered Tetragonal ![]() | Simple Trigonal ![]() |
Atomic and Orbital Properties
| Property | Tin | Mercury |
|---|---|---|
| Atomic Number | 50 | 80 |
| Number of Electrons (with no charge) | 50 | 80 |
| Number of Protons | 50 | 80 |
| Mass Number | 118.71 | 200.59 |
| Number of Neutrons | 69 | 121 |
| Shell structure (Electrons per energy level) | 2, 8, 18, 18, 4 | 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 2 |
| Electron Configuration | [Kr] 4d10 5s2 5p2 | [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 |
| Valence Electrons | 5s2 5p2 | 5d10 6s2 |
| Oxidation State | -4, 2, 4 | 1, 2 |
| Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers) | 3P0 | 1S0 |
| Shell structure | ![]() | ![]() |
Isotopes and Nuclear Properties
Tin has 10 stable naturally occuring isotopes while Mercury has 7 stable naturally occuring isotopes.
| Parameter | Tin | Mercury |
|---|---|---|
| Known Isotopes | 99Sn, 100Sn, 101Sn, 102Sn, 103Sn, 104Sn, 105Sn, 106Sn, 107Sn, 108Sn, 109Sn, 110Sn, 111Sn, 112Sn, 113Sn, 114Sn, 115Sn, 116Sn, 117Sn, 118Sn, 119Sn, 120Sn, 121Sn, 122Sn, 123Sn, 124Sn, 125Sn, 126Sn, 127Sn, 128Sn, 129Sn, 130Sn, 131Sn, 132Sn, 133Sn, 134Sn, 135Sn, 136Sn, 137Sn | 171Hg, 172Hg, 173Hg, 174Hg, 175Hg, 176Hg, 177Hg, 178Hg, 179Hg, 180Hg, 181Hg, 182Hg, 183Hg, 184Hg, 185Hg, 186Hg, 187Hg, 188Hg, 189Hg, 190Hg, 191Hg, 192Hg, 193Hg, 194Hg, 195Hg, 196Hg, 197Hg, 198Hg, 199Hg, 200Hg, 201Hg, 202Hg, 203Hg, 204Hg, 205Hg, 206Hg, 207Hg, 208Hg, 209Hg, 210Hg |
| Stable Isotopes | Naturally occurring stable isotopes: 112Sn, 114Sn, 115Sn, 116Sn, 117Sn, 118Sn, 119Sn, 120Sn, 122Sn, 124Sn | Naturally occurring stable isotopes: 196Hg, 198Hg, 199Hg, 200Hg, 201Hg, 202Hg, 204Hg |
| Neutron Cross Section | 0.63 | 374 |
| Neutron Mass Absorption | 0.0002 | 0.063 |
Chemical Properties: Ionization Energies and electron affinity
| Property | Tin | Mercury |
|---|---|---|
| Valence or Valency | 4 | 2 |
| Electronegativity | 1.96 Pauling Scale | 2 Pauling Scale |
| Oxidation State | -4, 2, 4 | 1, 2 |
| Electron Affinity | 107.3 kJ/mol | 0 kJ/mol |
| Ionization Energies | 1st: 708.6 kJ/mol 2nd: 1411.8 kJ/mol 3rd: 2943 kJ/mol 4th: 3930.3 kJ/mol 5th: 7456 kJ/mol | 1st: 1007.1 kJ/mol 2nd: 1810 kJ/mol 3rd: 3300 kJ/mol |
Physical Properties
Tin (7.31 g/cm³) is less dense than Mercury (13.534 g/cm³). This means that a given volume of Mercury will be heavier than the same volume of Tin. Mercury is about 85.1 denser than Tin
| Property | Tin | Mercury |
|---|---|---|
| Phase at STP | Solid | Liquid |
| Color | Silver | Silver |
| Density | 7.31 g/cm3 | 13.534 g/cm3 |
| Density (when liquid (at melting point)) | 6.99 g/cm3 | 13.534 g/cm3 |
| Molar Volume | 16.239 cm3/mol | 14.09 cm3/mol |
Mechanical and Hardness Properties
| Property | Tin | Mercury |
|---|---|---|
Elastic Properties | ||
| Young Modulus | 50 | - |
| Shear Modulus | 18 GPa | - |
| Bulk Modulus | 58 GPa | 25 GPa |
| Poisson Ratio | 0.36 | - |
Hardness - Tests to Measure of Hardness of Element | ||
| Mohs Hardness | 1.5 MPa | - |
| Vickers Hardness | - | - |
| Brinell Hardness | 51 MPa | - |
Thermal and Electrical Conductivity
| Property | Tin | Mercury |
|---|---|---|
Heat and Conduction Properties | ||
| Thermal Conductivity | 67 W/(m K) | 8.3 W/(m K) |
| Thermal Expansion | 0.000022 /K | - |
Electrical Properties | ||
| Electrical Conductivity | 9100000 S/m | 1000000 S/m |
| Resistivity | 1.1e-7 m Ω | 9.6e-7 m Ω |
| Superconducting Point | 3.72 | 4.154 |
Magnetic and Optical Properties
| Property | Tin | Mercury |
|---|---|---|
Magnetic Properties | ||
| Magnetic Type | Diamagnetic | Diamagnetic |
| Curie Point | - | - |
| Mass Magnetic Susceptibility | -3.1e-9 m3/kg | -2.1e-9 m3/kg |
| Molar Magnetic Susceptibility | -3.68e-10 m3/mol | -4.21e-10 m3/mol |
| Volume Magnetic Susceptibility | -0.0000227 | -0.0000284 |
Optical Properties | ||
| Refractive Index | - | 1.000933 |
Acoustic Properties | ||
| Speed of Sound | 2500 m/s | 1407 m/s |
Thermal Properties - Enthalpies and thermodynamics
| Property | Tin | Mercury |
|---|---|---|
| Melting Point | 505.08 K | 234.32 K |
| Boiling Point | 2875 K | 629.88 K |
| Critical Temperature | - | 1750 K |
| Superconducting Point | 3.72 | 4.154 |
Enthalpies | ||
| Heat of Fusion | 7 kJ/mol | 2.29 kJ/mol |
| Heat of Vaporization | 290 kJ/mol | 59.2 kJ/mol |
| Heat of Combustion | - | - |
Regulatory and Health - Health and Safety Parameters and Guidelines
| Parameter | Tin | Mercury |
|---|---|---|
| CAS Number | CAS7440-31-5 | CAS7439-97-6 |
| RTECS Number | {N/A, RTECSXP7320000} | RTECSOV4550000 |
| DOT Hazard Class | - | 8 |
| DOT Numbers | - | 2809 |
| EU Number | - | - |
| NFPA Fire Rating | 3 | 0 |
| NFPA Health Rating | 1 | 3 |
| NFPA Reactivity Rating | 3 | 0 |
| NFPA Hazards | - | - |
| AutoIgnition Point | - | - |
| Flashpoint | - | - |
Compare Tin and Mercury With Other Elements
Compare Tin and Mercury with other elements of the periodic table. Explore howTin and Mercury stack up against other elements of the periodic table. Use our interactive comparison tool to analyze 90+ properties across different metals, non-metals, metalloids, and noble gases. Understanding these differences is crucial for applications in engineering, chemistry, electronics, biology, and material science.









