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:
“Talent develops in quiet places, character in the full current of human life.”
—Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe (1749–1832)
“The twentieth-century artist who uses symbols is alienated because the system of symbols is a private one. After you have dealt with the symbols you are still private, you are still lonely, because you are not sure anyone will understand it except yourself. The ransom of privacy is that you are alone.”
—Louise Bourgeois (b. 1911)