Beta tin is the same as white tin.

Beta tin is the same as white tin.

• A. Beta tin is the same as white tin.
• B. Beta tin is the same as gray tin.
• C. Beta tin is a gas.
• D. Beta tin is a compound.

Answer: (A)

Tin exists in two structural forms called allotropes. The metallic form you encounter at room temperature is beta-tin, which is the same as white tin. So, stating that beta tin is the same as white tin is correct because both names refer to the stable, metallic phase of tin at ordinary conditions. The other form, gray tin (alpha-tin), appears at lower temperatures and has a diamond-like, nonmetallic structure that is brittle and expands upon cooling. It is not a gas, and it is not a compound—just a different elemental form of tin. This contrast shows how an element can have distinct structures with different properties depending on temperature.

Tin exists in two structural forms called allotropes. The metallic form you encounter at room temperature is beta-tin, which is the same as white tin. So, stating that beta tin is the same as white tin is correct because both names refer to the stable, metallic phase of tin at ordinary conditions. The other form, gray tin (alpha-tin), appears at lower temperatures and has a diamond-like, nonmetallic structure that is brittle and expands upon cooling. It is not a gas, and it is not a compound—just a different elemental form of tin. This contrast shows how an element can have distinct structures with different properties depending on temperature.