Chemical Symbols

Each element has a unique chemical symbol

The chemical symbol relates to its name in a particular language (not necessarily English)

The symbol usually consists of one or two letters, apart from newly discovered elements (which have 3 letters)

The first letter of a chemical symbol is always a capital - any letters that follow are lower case

First 20 elements (needed at GCSE level):

Hydrogen - H

Helium - He

Lithium - Li

Beryllium - Be

Boron - B

Carbon - C

Nitrogen - N

Oxygen - O

Fluorine - F

Neon - Ne

Sodium - Na

Magnesium - Mg

Aluminium - Al

Silicon - Si

Phosphorus - P

Sulphur/Sulfur - S

Chlorine - Cl

Argon - Ar

Potassium - K

Calcium - Ca

On the Periodic Table, each element is identified by its chemical symbol

Chemical symbols are used in symbol equations to show which elements and compounds are reacting

Before the Periodic Table was created, certain elements already had symbols that were devised as part of alchemy:

Aluminium       

Antimony        

Arsenic           

Bismuth           

Boron             

Cobalt            

Copper           

Gold                  

Iron                

Lead                     

Magnesium    

Mercury              

Nickel             

Phosphorus       

Platinum        

Potassium      

Sulphur/Sulfur   

Silver                    

Tin                      

Zinc                

N.B - 20/07/2012
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