Ask A Scientist© Chemistry Archive

name         THOMAS
status       student
age          12

Question -   I am trying to "Explain why the element's symbols are not
always the first letters of their name". I know the person who discovered
gets to chose a name. Does it have to do with grouping or what?
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Tom,
     Many elemental symbols are derived from the Latin names. Gold---aurum
(Au), iron---ferrum (Fe). There is a really great web page:
http://www.chemicool.com  . It is an interactive periodic table with link to
the Encyclopedia Britannia which will tell you more than you probably want to
know about the elements.  Good luck!

Sincerely,

Bob Blaus
York Community High School
Elmhurst, Illinois
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Hi Thomas! The reasons for the elements names are many...let's see:
can be the element first letter (like oxigen= O); if that letter is already
taken by another element, it can be the first 2 letters (like Osmium = Os).
That you know already.
It can be in honor of the discoverer or another scientist ( like Fermium =
Fm,
from Fermi); it can be of a place ( like Berkelium = (Bk , from Berkeley).
Now...and what about  Silver that is Ag; Sb that is Antimony, Gold that
is Au, Lead that is Pb...and so on...
These names come from the name of the element in Latin, and usually elements
discovered or know from old times. So, Ag come from Argentum, Sb from
Stibium; Au from Aurum; Pb from Plumbum...and Na (sodium) from Natrium,
Hg (mercury) from hydrargyrum, Sn (tin) from Stannum.
See?
And thanks from asking to NEWTON!
Mabel
(Dr. Mabel Rodrigues)
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Some of the symbols come from the element's name in another language. For
example, the symbol for mercury, Hg, comes from the latin name hydrargyrum.
Tungesten's symbol, W, comes from the german name (Wolfram or Wolframium).
Also, in older German literature the symbol "J" is used for Iodine (Jode?)
rather than "I".
Bradburn
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