Tin

Tin is a soft, silvery metal that resists corrosion. About 5,000 years ago, people learned to mix it with copper to make bronze, beginning the Bronze Age. It is mined as the mineral cassiterite, mostly in China, Indonesia and Myanmar. Its symbol, Sn, comes from stannum, its Latin name.

About half of all tin goes into solder, which in the television is about 96% tin. Tin plating on each resistor, ceramic capacitor, connector and lead frame helps solder flow onto them and bond. Tin also adds springiness to phosphor bronze, and as tin dioxide it joins indium oxide to make the clear conductor indium tin oxide.