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đź’ˇ A world code
Imagine every scientist writing gold their own way. Chaos! Symbols are a shared code so scientists everywhere read the same element the same way.
By 1869 about 69 elements were known; today we know about 118 . Dalton introduced pictorial symbols in 1803; in 1813 Berzelius suggested letter symbols from element names. Today IUPAC approves the names and symbols.
How are element symbols written (IUPAC rules)?
IUPAC Symbol Rules
First letter capital, second letter small Aluminium = Al, not AL or aL Many symbols come from Latin, Greek or German names Iron = Fe (ferrum), Mercury = Hg (hydrargyrum), Tungsten = W (wolfram) The same symbol is used all over the world Sodium is Na in every country
- Usually the first letter , or first two letters, of the name.
- First letter is a capital ; the second (if any) is small — e.g. Al (not AL), Co (not CO).
- Some come from Latin/Greek/German names — Fe ( ferrum ), Hg ( hydrargyros ), W ( wolfram ).
| Name of the element | Symbol | Name of the element | Symbol | Name of the element | Symbol |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminium | Al | Copper (Cuprum) | Cu | Nitrogen | N |
| Argon | Ar | Fluorine | F | Oxygen | O |
| Barium | Ba | Gold (Aurum) | Au | Potassium (Kalium) | K |
| Boron | B | Hydrogen | H | Silicon | Si |
| Bromine | Br | Iodine | I | Silver (Argentum) | Ag |
| Calcium | Ca | Iron (Ferrum) | Fe | Sodium (Natrium) | Na |
| Carbon | C | Lead (Plumbum) | Pb | Sulfur | S |
| Chlorine | Cl | Magnesium | Mg | Uranium | U |
| Cobalt | Co | Neon | Ne | Zinc | Zn |
⏸▶ Pause and Ponder
- 8. (Open) Name a new element after yourself and choose a symbol that follows IUPAC rules — a capital first letter and a small second letter (e.g. “Darium, Da”), not already used.
- 9. If everyone used different symbols for the same element, communication would break down — scientists worldwide could misunderstand each other and make errors.
âś… Test Yourself
-
Who introduced the first pictorial symbols for elements?
Show Answer
John Dalton, in 1803. -
Which body approves the names and symbols of elements today?
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IUPAC — the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry. -
Write the symbol of sodium and the Latin name it comes from.
Show Answer
Na, from Natrium . -
Why is cobalt written Co and not CO?
Show Answer
The second letter of a symbol is always written in lowercase.
Important Definitions
- Chemical symbol — a short internationally agreed representation of an element; first letter capital, second small.
