Tin vs. Zinc — What's the Difference?

Used in solder for joining pipes and electronics.

Recyclable and valued in sustainable construction.

A soft, silvery-white metal known for its corrosion resistance.

Essential for making brass.

Scarce and valuable in many historical contexts.

A bluish-silver metal used primarily to galvanize steel.

Environmentally sensitive mining practices.

Widely used in dietary supplements for immune support.

Component of bronze alloy.

High strength and resistance to corrosion.

Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn (from Latin: stannum) and atomic number 50. Tin is a silvery metal that characteristically has a faint yellow hue.

Zinc is a chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. Zinc is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a silvery-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed.

Symbol Sn A crystalline, silvery metallic element obtained chiefly from cassiterite, and having two notable allotropic forms. Malleable white tin is the useful allotrope, but at temperatures below 13.2°C it slowly converts to the brittle gray allotrope. Tin is used to coat other metals to prevent corrosion and is a part of numerous alloys, such as soft solder, pewter, type metal, and bronze. Atomic number 50; atomic weight 118.71; melting point 231.93°C; boiling point 2,602°C; specific gravity (gray) 5.77, (white) 7.29; valence 2, 4. See Periodic Table.

A bluish-white, lustrous metallic element that is brittle at room temperature but malleable with heating. It is used to form a wide variety of alloys including brass, bronze, various solders, and nickel silver, in galvanizing iron and other metals, for electric fuses, anodes, meter cases and batteries, and in roofing, gutters, and various household objects. US pennies minted after 1982 consist of a copper-clad zinc core. Atomic number 30; atomic weight 65.38; melting point 419.53°C; boiling point 907°C; specific gravity 7.134 (at 25°C); valence 2. See Periodic Table.

Tin plate.

To coat or treat with zinc; galvanize.

A container or box made of tin plate.

A chemical element (symbol Zn) with an atomic number of 30, a slightly brittle blue-silvery metal.

A container for preserved foodstuffs; a can.

(countable) A single atom of this element.

The contents of such a container.

(Nigeria) A corrugated iron roof.

To plate or coat with tin.

A zinc countertop.

Chiefly British To preserve or pack in tins; can.

(rare) To electroplate with zinc.

Of, relating to, or made of tin.

(rare) To coat with sunblock incorporating zinc oxide.

Constructed of inferior material.

An abundant element of the magnesium-cadmium group, extracted principally from the minerals zinc blende, smithsonite, calamine, and franklinite, as an easily fusible bluish white metal, which is malleable, especially when heated. It is not easily oxidized in moist air, and hence is used for sheeting, coating galvanized iron, etc. It is used in making brass, britannia, and other alloys, and is also largely consumed in electric batteries. Symbol Zn. Atomic number 30. Atomic weight 65.38.

Spurious.

To coat with zinc; to galvanize.

(uncountable) A malleable, ductile, metallic element, resistant to corrosion, with atomic number 50 and symbol Sn.

A bluish-white lustrous metallic element; brittle at ordinary temperatures but malleable when heated; used in a wide variety of alloys and in galvanizing iron; it occurs as zinc sulphide in zinc blende

An airtight container, made of tin or another metal, used to preserve food, or hold a liquid or some other product.

(countable) A metal pan used for baking, roasting, etc.

The bottom part of the front wall, which is "out" if a player strikes it with the ball.

Money, especially silver money.

Computer hardware.

Made of tin.

Made of galvanised iron or built of corrugated iron.

(transitive) To place into a metal can (ie. a tin; be it tin, steel, aluminum) in order to preserve.

(transitive) To cover with tin.

(transitive) To coat with solder

To coat with solder, in preparation for soldering, to ensure a good solder joint

To coat with solder, in order to consolidate braided wire, so as to make contact with all strands and reduce fragility of the fraying wire

An elementary substance found as an oxide in the mineral cassiterite, and reduced as a soft silvery-white crystalline metal, with a tinge of yellowish-blue, and a high luster. It is malleable at ordinary temperatures, but brittle when heated. It is softer than gold and can be beaten out into very thin strips called tinfoil. It is ductile at 2120, when it can be drawn out into wire which is not very tenacious; it melts at 4420, and at a higher temperature burns with a brilliant white light. Air and moisture act on tin very slightly. The peculiar properties of tin, especially its malleability, its brilliancy and the slowness with which it rusts make it very serviceable. With other metals it forms valuable alloys, as bronze, gun metal, bell metal, pewter and solder. It is not easily oxidized in the air, and is used chiefly to coat iron to protect it from rusting, in the form of tin foil with mercury to form the reflective surface of mirrors, and in solder, bronze, speculum metal, and other alloys. Its compounds are designated as stannous, or stannic. Symbol Sn (Stannum). Atomic weight 117.4.

Thin plates of iron covered with tin; tin plate.

Money.

To cover with tin or tinned iron, or to overlay with tin foil.

A silvery malleable metallic element that resists corrosion; used in many alloys and to coat other metals to prevent corrosion; obtained chiefly from cassiterite where it occurs as tin oxide

Metal container for storing dry foods such as tea or flour

Airtight sealed metal container for food or drink or paint etc.

Plate with tin

Preserve in a can or tin;

Prepare (a metal) for soldering or brazing by applying a thin layer of solder to the surface

Zinc is used to galvanize steel, creating a corrosion-resistant coating.

Tin is primarily used for coating steel and in alloys like bronze.

Zinc is recyclable and plays a role in sustainable construction projects.

Yes, both tin and zinc can be recycled, though zinc is more commonly noted for its recyclability in the industry.

Tin is softer and has a lower melting point, while zinc is harder and has a higher melting point.

Tin tends to be more expensive due to its lower abundance, while zinc is more affordable and widely used.

Tin was used in making bronze in ancient times, and zinc has been important in producing brass.

Tin mining can lead to significant ecological and social issues.

Zinc is widely used in health supplements, while tin does not have significant health applications.

Tin can be found in food cans and solder; zinc is found in hot-dip galvanized.