Discover the Marvelous Metal: Top 9 Fun Facts About Tin You Never Knew!
1. Cranky Uncle Tin's Cry
You know your favorite cranky uncle who's always complaining about aching joints? It turns out tin is the cranky uncle of metals, since it whines whenever you bend it: Tin emits a peculiar "tin cry" when bent, caused by the crystal twinning within its structure. This phenomenon isn't too loud and results from the acoustic waves generated by twin nucleation and growth.
Source => doitpoms.ac.uk
2. Tin Foil Hats: Fashionably Ineffective
Heed this caution, tin-foil toppers: Your makeshift metallic headwear may be as effective as a chocolate teapot when it comes to shielding your noggin from pesky mind readers or electromagnetic foes: The effectiveness of tin foil hats in blocking radiation is only as strong as the foil's thickness, and according to MIT students' tongue-in-cheek study, they may even amplify certain radio wave frequencies, proving that these hats are nothing more than fashionable (and crunchy) accessories.
Source => en.wikipedia.org
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3. Swiping Right on the Bronze Age
In a time before smartphones, Netflix, and Tinder, people swiped right on a cutting-edge innovation known as bronze: it turns out that the earliest known tin alloy bronzes date back to around 4500 BC and were discovered at an archaeological site in Serbia. Replacing stone tools that were all the rage 6500 years ago, tin, in its ore form cassiterite, was smelted and added to molten copper, giving birth to the sassy Bronze Age across the globe.
Source => makin-metals.com
4. Stannary Law, A Legal Cherry on Top
Needing a legal cherry on top: Stannary law, the oldest law incorporated into the English legal system, uniquely governs tin mining in Cornwall and Devon, even requiring separate legislative, judicial, and executive institutions for tin miners due to the immense economic importance of the industry in the Middle Ages.
Source => en.wikipedia.org
5. Tin Man: Unsung Computing Hero
Step aside, Iron Man, and make way for Tin Man: the unsung hero of the computing world! Tin, the humble 50th element on the periodic table, helped revolutionize our reality by lending its shiny talents to the invention of the vacuum tube. Sir John Ambrose Fleming capitalized on the Edison effect to create this groundbreaking technology that ultimately paved the way for modern computer wizardry – all thanks to tin's critical role in constructing the tube's electrodes.
Source => mapcon.com
6. Steel, Environmental Superhero
While Superman may be the go-to hero for saving the world, steel is quietly flexing its muscles as the green superhero fueling renewable energy: Steel's essential role in solar, tidal, and wind power production is due in part to the industry's significant strides in reducing environmental impact and prioritizing sustainability, recycling over 650 million tons of steel yearly in North America and boasting a global material efficiency rate of 96%.
Source => independentcan.com
7. Tin Tin's Party-Ready Metal Cousin
Who knew Tin Tin's metal cousin knew how to party? From jamming with electronic gadgets to moonlighting as a protective shield, this elemental chameleon has got it covered: Tin boasts versatile applications that include soldering electronic components with Sn63Pb37, protecting capacitor manufacturing against electromagnetic interference in Sn90Zn7Cu3 alloy, and lending its talents to alloys like Galvanite and KappFree for top-notch galvanized steel repairs and vibration-resistant electrical products.
Source => en.wikipedia.org
8. Titanic Golf Club Mystery
Hitting the ocean floor with a seven iron: The Titanic's luxurious cargo held 34 cases of golf clubs, evidencing that its well-to-do passengers planned on enjoying their favorite leisurely sport during the ill-fated voyage.
Source => ggarchives.com
9. Tin Foil's Tasty Takeover
Before the dawn of aluminum, humanity had to survive the tin age: a time when leftover food was victim to the treacherous tinny taste! Once kings of the 1800s and early 20th century for uses like packaging and insulation, tin foil has now taken a humble bow to allow its non-taste-tampering cousin, aluminum foil, to claim the throne. Still, tin's noble heart of durability and its non-corrosive nature lives on, gallantly serving in certain industrial realms to this day.
Source => tasteofhome.com
