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:
“Phlebas the Phoenician, a fortnight dead,
Forgot the cry of gulls, and the deep sea swell
And the profit and loss.
A current under sea
Picked his bones in whispers. As he rose and fell
He passed the stages of his age and youth
Entering the whirlpool.”
—T.S. (Thomas Stearns)
“The use of symbols has a certain power of emancipation and exhilaration for all men. We seem to be touched by a wand, which makes us dance and run about happily, like children. We are like persons who come out of a cave or cellar into the open air. This is the effect on us of tropes, fables, oracles, and all poetic forms. Poets are thus liberating gods.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (18031882)