Why food cans are coated with tin and not with zinc?

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Solution

Tin is used to coat food cans because tin is comparatively less reactive.
Tin is not affected by the acids in food so a layer of tin placed on a steel sheet protects the steel in the can from corrosion.
Zinc is more reactive than tin in the reactivity series and hence, it can react with the organic acid present in the food.
And this could contaminate food.
Therefore, tin is used in the cans.

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Similar questions

Food cans are coated with tin and not with zinc because

(a) zinc is costlier than tin.

(b) zinc has a higher melting point than tin.

(d) zinc is less reactive than tin.

why food cans are coated with tin metal and not zinc metal?

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