Journey Inside the Atom · Lesson 7 of 14
Symbols of Elements
“Standard element symbols make chemical communication compact and internationally consistent”
• Explain why standard element symbols are useful. • Describe the move from Dalton's pictorial symbols to alphabetic symbols. • Apply capitalisation rules correctly. • Recognise symbols derived from older language names. • Recall common symbols listed in the chapter.
As the number of known elements increased, writing full names repeatedly became inconvenient. Chemistry needed a compact language that scientists in different places could read in exactly the same way. Element symbols provide that shared language.
Symbols of Elements
From Pictorial Symbols to Letters
Dalton introduced pictorial symbols for elements. Berzelius later suggested alphabetic symbols derived from element names. Today, names and symbols are approved internationally so that a symbol carries the same meaning wherever it is used.
A standard one-letter or two-letter abbreviation used to represent a chemical element.
Rules for Writing Symbols
The first letter of an element symbol is always uppercase. If a second letter is present, it is lowercase. Thus Al is aluminium, Co is cobalt and Cl is chlorine. Writing both letters uppercase changes the notation and is not the correct symbol.
| Element | Correct symbol | Incorrect form |
|---|---|---|
| Hydrogen | H | h |
| Aluminium | Al | AL |
| Cobalt | Co | CO |
| Chlorine | Cl | CL |
| Zinc | Zn | ZN |
Symbols From Other Languages
Some symbols come from Latin, Greek or German names rather than modern English. Iron is Fe from ferrum, mercury Hg from hydrargyros and tungsten W from wolfram. Other examples include sodium Na from natrium, potassium K from kalium, gold Au from aurum, silver Ag from argentum, copper Cu from cuprum and lead Pb from plumbum.
| Element | Symbol | Name behind symbol |
|---|---|---|
| Iron | Fe | Ferrum |
| Mercury | Hg | Hydrargyros |
| Tungsten | W | Wolfram |
| Sodium | Na | Natrium |
| Potassium | K | Kalium |
| Gold | Au | Aurum |
| Silver | Ag | Argentum |
| Copper | Cu | Cuprum |
| Lead | Pb | Plumbum |
Common Element Symbols
| Element | Symbol | Element | Symbol |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminium | Al | Nitrogen | N |
| Argon | Ar | Oxygen | O |
| Barium | Ba | Fluorine | F |
| Boron | B | Hydrogen | H |
| Bromine | Br | Silicon | Si |
| Calcium | Ca | Iodine | I |
| Carbon | C | Magnesium | Mg |
| Chlorine | Cl | Uranium | U |
| Cobalt | Co | Neon | Ne |
| Zinc | Zn | Sulfur | S |
If scientists used different symbols for the same element, formulas and research reports could become ambiguous. A shared symbol system allows clear communication across languages.
Quiz
Which description best matches Element Symbol?
Which term matches this description: A standard one-letter or two-letter abbreviation used to represent a chemical element.
Which statement is a key takeaway from this lesson?
Which additional statement is also a key takeaway from this lesson?
Which further statement is also a key takeaway from this lesson?
Practice Problems
- Correct these where needed: AL, co, CL, na and H.
- Why is Fe used for iron?
- Why can a two-letter symbol not be written with both letters uppercase?
- Create a hypothetical element name and a symbol that follows the rules.
Key Takeaways
• Every element is represented by a standard chemical symbol. • The first letter of an element symbol is written in uppercase and a second letter, if present, in lowercase. • Some symbols come from older or non-English names of the elements. • Standard symbols make chemical communication concise and universal.