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)
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