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  • Category: Miscellaneous
    Points:5

    How are the symbols for these elements derived?

    People who studied chemistry in high school will know about the periodic table and the symbols of various elements mentioned in it.
    For example, Hydrogen has a symbol of H. In the same way, Oxygen has a symbol of O. The Majority of elements have their first or first two letters as their symbol.
    But the symbol we use for Gold is Au and the symbol we use for Silver is Ag. How these symbols came. This symbol for gold is derived from the word aurum. Aurum is a Latin word which means Gold metal. From that word, this symbol is derived. The symbol for Silver is Ag. Silver is called Argentum in the Latin language and the symbol came from that word.
    Some other elements also have different symbols like this. Members can add them as per their knowledge.
  • #777782

    Points:3
    Chemical symbols are like shorthand for elements in chemistry. They often come from words in different languages. For example, Sodium is "Na" from the Latin word "natrium." Potassium is "K" from the Latin word "kalium." Tungsten is "W" from its German name "wolfram." Iron is "Fe" from the Latin word "ferrum." Copper is "Cu" from the Latin word "cuprum." Tin is "Sn" from "stannum." Mercury is "Hg" from its Greek name "hydrargyrum." Many scientific terms, including chemical symbols, have roots in Latin and Greek because these languages were widely used by scholars and scientists throughout history.
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  • #777784

    Points:4
    This is a very informative post about the chemical symbols of the elements.
    Many elements were discovered by the scientists in different laboratories or research centres in different countries. The name of element was conceived in the local knowledge but later it was known with a different name in English. So that could be the reason for the symbol linked to the original name.
    Because English has become a common international language especially in the technical areas, we may feel that symbols of the elements should have been the first letter of their English names but it is not a compulsion to do so.
    Thoughts exchanged is knowledge gained.

  • #777805

    Points:5
    When I was in my HSC schooling then I was always puzzled by the symbols of the elements as they were not in sync with their names. Later I came to know that they were linked to names in different languages.
    During that time periodic table was the most important thing (it is so today also) as regards the grouping of elements in various groups and we used to remember the symbols groupwise as that made a better representation and stayed in our memory.
    Gradually the symbols became more familiar to us as we started to learn and understand various chemical reactions where these symbols were repeatedly used.
    The chemical formula for many chemicals helped us to remember the symbols. For example Ag in AgCl (Silver Chloride) made us to remember that symbol for Silver was Ag. Likewise Pb in PbSO4 (Lead Sulphate), K in K2CO3 (Potassium Carbonate) and so on.
    Knowledge is power.

  • #777807

    Points:4
    Yes, different metals were invented and had their Latin or Greek names since those days scientists had a greater affinity to discover different metals and elements. The elements discovered up to 102 was in rapid succession but later the same has been slow. Normally, the elements discovered were named after the elements in their abbreviated form.
    Such as Stanum, Zirconium, Caladium, Calcium, Aluminium, Copper, Cobalt, Nickel, Zinc, Bismuth, Lead, Cobalt and many more were discovered and were known in the abbreviated forms such as Sn, Zr, Cd, Ca, Al, Cu, Co, Zn, Bi, Pb, Co etc.
    If we go by the periodic table, higher the reactivity of the metals, such as Sodium,
    Potassium and Magnesium are placed in lower Group and hence they have been placed in Group One of the periodic table.

  • #777808

    Points:2
    As already mentioned by many members, in lower classes we learnt the Latin names of many elements thanks to the Chemistry chapter on symbols. Aurum (Gold), Argentum (Silver), Hydrargyrum (Mercury), Natrium (Sodium), Cuprum (Copper) and Stannum (Tin) are some Latin words which I learnt during my initial days
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    (b) Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it. ---------- Salvador Dali

  • #777875

    Points:2
    The symbols for some other elements are given below:
    1. Sodium: Na
    2. Potassium: K
    3. Mercury: Hg
    4. Iron: Fe
    5. Tin: Sn
    6. Antimony: Sb
    7. Lead: Pb
    8. Tungsten: W
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