Current Symbols
NOTE: Placing one's cursor over the entry in the etymology column will display a modern English translation for words of Greek, Latin, or other origin.
Some element categories in the periodic table
Metals | Metalloids | Nonmetals | Unknown chemical properties |
|||||||
Alkali metals |
Alkaline earth metals |
Inner transition metals | Transition metals |
Post-transition metals |
Other nonmetals |
Halogens | Noble gases |
|||
Lanthanides | Actinides |
Symbol | Name | Etymology of symbol | Atomic number | Relative atomic mass | Group | Period |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ac | Actinium | from Greek aktinos | 89 | &227 | 7 | |
Ag | Silver | Latin argentum | 47 | &107.86822107.8682(2) | 11 | 5 |
Al | Aluminium | Latin alumen | 13 | &026.9815386826.9815386(8) | 13 | 3 |
Am | Americium | the Americas | 95 | &243 | 7 | |
Ar | Argon | Greek argon | 18 | &039.948139.948(1) | 18 | 3 |
As | Arsenic | Greek arsenikos | 33 | &074.92160274.92160(2) | 15 | 4 |
At | Astatine | Greek astatos | 85 | &210 | 17 | 6 |
Au | Gold | Latin aurum | 79 | &196.9665694196.966569(4) | 11 | 6 |
B | Boron | borax | 5 | &010.811710.811(7) | 13 | 2 |
Ba | Barium | Greek barys | 56 | &137.3277137.327(7) | 2 | 6 |
Be | Beryllium | beryl | 4 | &009.01218239.012182(3) | 2 | 2 |
Bh | Bohrium | Niels Bohr | 107 | &264 | 7 | 7 |
Bi | Bismuth | from German wissmuth, becoming bismuth in English |
83 | &208.980401208.98040(1) | 15 | 6 |
Bk | Berkelium | Berkeley, California | 97 | &247 | 7 | |
Br | Bromine | Greek bromos | 35 | &079.904179.904(1) | 17 | 4 |
C | Carbon | Latin carbo | 6 | &012.0107812.0107(8) | 14 | 2 |
Ca | Calcium | Latin calx | 20 | &040.078440.078(4) | 2 | 4 |
Cd | Cadmium | Greek kadmia | 48 | &112.4118112.411(8) | 12 | 5 |
Ce | Cerium | Ceres | 58 | &140.1161140.116(1) | 6 | |
Cf | Californium | State and University of California | 98 | &251 | 7 | |
Cl | Chlorine | Greek chloros | 17 | &035.453235.453(2) | 17 | 3 |
Cm | Curium | Pierre and Marie Curie and the traditional -um ending | 96 | &247 | 7 | |
Cn | Copernicium | Nicolaus Copernicus | 112 | &285 | 12 | 7 |
Co | Cobalt | from German kobold | 27 | &058.933195558.933195(5) | 9 | 4 |
Cr | Chromium | Greek chroma | 24 | &051.9961651.9961(6) | 6 | 4 |
Cs | Caesium (Cesium) | Latin caesius | 55 | &132.90545192132.9054519(2) | 1 | 6 |
Cu | Copper | Latin Cuprum | 29 | &063.546363.546(3) | 11 | 4 |
Db | Dubnium | Dubna, Russia | 105 | &262 | 5 | 7 |
Ds | Darmstadtium | Darmstadt, Germany | 110 | &271 | 10 | 7 |
Dy | Dysprosium | Greek dysprositos | 66 | &162.5001162.500(1) | 6 | |
Er | Erbium | Ytterby, Sweden | 68 | &167.2593167.259(3) | 6 | |
Es | Einsteinium | Albert Einstein | 99 | &252 | 7 | |
Eu | Europium | Europe | 63 | &151.9641151.964(1) | 6 | |
F | Fluorine | Latin fluo | 9 | &018.9984032518.9984032(5) | 17 | 2 |
Fe | Iron | Latin ferrum | 26 | &055.845255.845(2) | 8 | 4 |
Fl | Flerovium | Georgy Flyorov | 114 | &289 | 14 | 7 |
Fm | Fermium | Enrico Fermi | 100 | &257 | 7 | |
Fr | Francium | France | 87 | &223 | 1 | 7 |
Ga | Gallium | Latin Gallia | 31 | &069.723169.723(1) | 13 | 4 |
Gd | Gadolinium | gadolinite | 64 | &157.253157.25(3) | 6 | |
Ge | Germanium | Germany | 32 | &072.64172.64(1) | 14 | 4 |
H | Hydrogen | Greek hydrogenes | 1 | &001.0079471.00794(7) | 1 | 1 |
He | Helium | Greek helios | 2 | &004.00260224.002602(2) | 18 | 1 |
Hf | Hafnium | Latin Hafnia | 72 | &178.492178.49(2) | 4 | 6 |
Hg | Mercury | Latin hydrargyrum | 80 | &200.592200.59(2) | 12 | 6 |
Ho | Holmium | Latin Holmia | 67 | &164.930322164.930 32(2) | 6 | |
Hs | Hassium | Hesse, Germany | 108 | &277 | 8 | 7 |
I | Iodine | Greek ioeides | 53 | &126.904473126.904 47(3) | 17 | 5 |
In | Indium | indigo blue | 49 | &114.8183114.818(3) | 13 | 5 |
Ir | Iridium | Greek iris | 77 | &192.2173192.217(3) | 9 | 6 |
K | Potassium (Kalium) | Latin kalium | 19 | &039.0983139.0983(1) | 1 | 4 |
Kr | Krypton | Greek kryptos | 36 | &083.798283.798(2) | 18 | 4 |
La | Lanthanum | Greek lanthanien | 57 | &138.905477138.90547(7) | 6 | |
Li | Lithium | Greek lithos | 3 | &006.94126.941(2) | 1 | 2 |
Lr | Lawrencium | Ernest O. Lawrence | 103 | &262 | 3 | 7 |
Lu | Lutetium | Latin Lutetia | 71 | &174.9671174.967(1) | 3 | 6 |
Lv | Livermorium | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory | 116 | &292 | 16 | 7 |
Md | Mendelevium | Dmitri Mendeleyev | 101 | &258 | 7 | |
Mg | Magnesium | Magnesia, Greece | 12 | &024.3050624.3050(6) | 2 | 3 |
Mn | Manganese | Latin magnes | 25 | &054.938045554.938045(5) | 7 | 4 |
Mo | Molybdenum | Greek molybdos | 42 | &095.94295.94(2) | 6 | 5 |
Mt | Meitnerium | Lise Meitner | 109 | &268 | 9 | 7 |
N | Nitrogen | Greek nitron | 7 | &014.0067214.0067(2) | 15 | 2 |
Na | Sodium | Latin natrium | 11 | &022.98976928222.98976928(2) | 1 | 3 |
Nb | Niobium | Niobe | 41 | &092.90638292.906 38(2) | 5 | 5 |
Nd | Neodymium | Greek neos didymos | 60 | &144.2423144.242(3) | 6 | |
Ne | Neon | Greek neos | 10 | &020.1797620.1797(6) | 18 | 2 |
Ni | Nickel | German kupfernickel | 28 | &058.6934258.6934(2) | 10 | 4 |
No | Nobelium | Alfred Nobel | 102 | &259 | 7 | |
Np | Neptunium | Neptune | 93 | &237 | 7 | |
O | Oxygen | Greek oxys | 8 | &015.9994315.9994(3) | 16 | 2 |
Os | Osmium | Greek osme | 76 | &190.233190.23(3) | 8 | 6 |
P | Phosphorus | Greek phosphoros | 15 | &030.973762230.973762(2) | 15 | 3 |
Pa | Protactinium | Greek protos and actinium | 91 | &231.035882231.03588(2) | 7 | |
Pb | Lead | Latin plumbum | 82 | &207.21207.2(1) | 14 | 6 |
Pd | Palladium | Pallas (genitive Pallados) | 46 | &106.421106.42(1) | 10 | 5 |
Pm | Promethium | Prometheus | 61 | &145 | 6 | |
Po | Polonium | Poland | 84 | &210 | 16 | 6 |
Pr | Praseodymium | Greek prasios | 59 | &140.907652140.90765(2) | 6 | |
Pt | Platinum | Greek platina | 78 | &195.0849195.084(9) | 10 | 6 |
Pu | Plutonium | Pluto | 94 | &244 | 7 | |
Ra | Radium | Latin radius | 88 | &226 | 2 | 7 |
Rb | Rubidium | Latin rubidus | 37 | &085.4678385.4678(3) | 1 | 5 |
Re | Rhenium | German Rheinprovinz | 75 | &186.2071186.207(1) | 7 | 6 |
Rf | Rutherfordium | Ernest Rutherford | 104 | &261261 | 4 | 7 |
Rg | Roentgenium | Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen | 111 | &272 | 11 | 7 |
Rh | Rhodium | Greek rhodon | 45 | &102.905502102.905 50(2) | 9 | 5 |
Rn | Radon | radium and emanation | 86 | &220 | 18 | 6 |
Ru | Ruthenium | Latin Ruthenia | 44 | &101.072101.07(2) | 8 | 5 |
S | Sulfur (Sulphur) | Latin sulfur | 16 | &032.065532.065(5) | 16 | 3 |
Sb | Antimony | Latin stibium | 51 | &121.7601121.760(1) | 15 | 5 |
Sc | Scandium | Scandinavia | 21 | &044.955912644.955912(6) | 3 | 4 |
Se | Selenium | Greek selene | 34 | &078.96378.96(3) | 16 | 4 |
Sg | Seaborgium | Glenn T. Seaborg | 106 | &266 | 6 | 7 |
Si | Silicon | Latin silex | 14 | &028.0855328.0855(3) | 14 | 3 |
Sm | Samarium | samarskite | 62 | &150.362150.36(2) | 6 | |
Sn | Tin | Latin stannum | 50 | &118.7101118.710(7) | 14 | 5 |
Sr | Strontium | Strontian | 38 | &087.62187.62(1) | 2 | 5 |
Ta | Tantalum | King Tantalus | 73 | &180.947882180.94788(2) | 5 | 6 |
Tb | Terbium | Ytterby, Sweden | 65 | &158.925352158.92535(2) | 6 | |
Tc | Technetium | Greek technetos | 43 | &098 | 7 | 5 |
Te | Tellurium | Greek tellus | 52 | &127.603127.60(3) | 16 | 5 |
Th | Thorium | Thor | 90 | &232.038062232.03806(2) | 7 | |
Ti | Titanium | the Titans | 22 | &047.867147.867(1) | 4 | 4 |
Tl | Thallium | Greek thallos | 81 | &204.38332204.3833(2) | 13 | 6 |
Tm | Thulium | Thule and the traditional -ium ending | 69 | &168.934212168.93421(2) | 6 | |
U | Uranium | Uranus | 92 | &238.028913238.02891(3) | 7 | |
Uuo | Ununoctium | Latin uni, uni, and oct | 118 | &294 | 18 | 7 |
Uup | Ununpentium | Latin uni, uni, and Greek pent | 115 | &288 | 15 | 7 |
Uus | Ununseptium | Latin uni, uni, and Greek sept | 117 | &295 | 17 | 7 |
Uut | Ununtrium | Latin uni, uni, and Greek tri | 113 | &284 | 13 | 7 |
V | Vanadium | Vanadis | 23 | &050.9415150.9415(1) | 5 | 4 |
W | Tungsten | German wolfram | 74 | &183.841183.84(1) | 6 | 6 |
Xe | Xenon | Greek xenos | 54 | &131.2936131.293(6) | 18 | 5 |
Y | Yttrium | Ytterby, Sweden | 39 | &088.90585288.90585(2) | 3 | 5 |
Yb | Ytterbium | Ytterby, Sweden | 70 | &173.043173.04(3) | 6 | |
Zn | Zinc | German zin | 30 | &065.409465.409(4) | 12 | 4 |
Zr | Zirconium | zircon | 40 | &091.224291.224(2) | 4 | 5 |
Some element categories in the periodic table
Metals | Metalloids | Nonmetals | Unknown chemical properties |
|||||||
Alkali metals |
Alkaline earth metals |
Inner transition metals | Transition metals |
Post-transition metals |
Other nonmetals |
Halogens | Noble gases |
|||
Lanthanides | Actinides |
Antimatter atoms are denoted by a bar above the symbol for their matter counterpart, so e.g. H is the symbol for antihydrogen.
Read more about this topic: Symbol (chemical Element)
Famous quotes containing the words current and/or symbols:
“This is no argument against teaching manners to the young. On the contrary, it is a fine old tradition that ought to be resurrected from its current mothballs and put to work...In fact, children are much more comfortable when they know the guide rules for handling the social amenities. Its no more fun for a child to be introduced to a strange adult and have no idea what to say or do than it is for a grownup to go to a formal dinner and have no idea what fork to use.”
—Leontine Young (20th century)
“Eloquence must be grounded on the plainest narrative. Afterwards, it may warm itself until it exhales symbols of every kind and color, speaks only through the most poetic forms; but first and last, it must still be at bottom a biblical statement of fact.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (18031882)