Germanium vs Tin
Germanium and Tin sit in the same column of the periodic table — same family, one period apart — so almost every difference between them comes from one thing: the extra electron shell Tin wears.
Side by side
| Property | Germanium | Tin |
|---|---|---|
| Symbol | Ge | Sn |
| Atomic number (Z) | 32 | 50 |
| Atomic mass | 72.630 u | 118.71 u |
| Category | Metalloid | Post-transition metal |
| Group | 14 | 14 |
| Period | 4 | 5 |
| Phase at room temp | solid | solid |
| Electron configuration | [Ar] 3d^10 4s^2 4p^2 | [Kr] 4d^10 5s^2 5p^2 |
| Valence electrons | 4 | 4 |
| Atomic radius | 125 pm | 145 pm |
| Electronegativity | 2.01 | 1.96 |
| First ionisation energy | 762 kJ/mol | 709 kJ/mol |
The verdicts
- Bigger atom: Tin — the lower an element sits in its group, the more shells it wears.
- Greedy electron-taker: Germanium — higher electronegativity means it pulls shared electrons harder.
- Heavier: Tin — compare the atomic masses in the table above.
Want the visual version with bars for radius, electronegativity and ionisation energy? Open the interactive compare tool with this pair already loaded.