Rules for assigning Symbols


 
 
Concept Explanation
 

Rules for assigning Symbols

Modern Day Symbols of Atoms of Different Elements: In chemistry, symbols are the representation of an element. It is simple to use the symbol of an element rather writing a whole word of an element. Therefore, symbols are used to represent an element. Dalton was the scientist who introduced symbols for representing elements for the first time.

As Dalton’s symbol for elements were difficult to draw and inconvenient to use, modern symbols for the elements were introduced by JJ Berzilius. These are defined as “a short hand representation of the name of an element”. In the beginning, the names of elements were derived from the name of the place where they were found for the first time.

Nowadays, it is the IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry) who approves the names and symbols of the elements. Many of the symbols are the first one or two letters of the element’s name in English.

The first letter of a symbol is always written in capital letter and the second letter as a small letter. E.g. chlorine (Cl), zinc (Zn) and aluminium (Al). Symbols of some elements have been taken from their names in different languages such as Latin, German, Greek etc. E.g. Iron — Fe from Ferrum (Latin name) and Gold – Au from Aurum (Latin name).

Rule for assigning Symbols:  Elements are symbolized according to the following rules.

1. The abbreviation used to represent an element in generally the first letter in capital of the English name of the element. A few examples are given here.

English name of the elementSymbol
HydrogenH
BoronB
OxygenO
NitrogenN

2. When the names of two or more elements begin with the same initial letter, the initial letter followed by one of the next letters is used to symbolize the element.

Name of the elementSymbol
BariumBa
BismuthBi
BromineBr

3. The symbols of some elements are derived from their Latin names.

Name of the elementLatin nameSymbol
SodiumNatriumNa
PotassiumKaliumK
CopperCuprumCu
IronFerrumFe

Summary of Symbols of common elements:

ElementsSymbolElementSymbol
HydrogenHArgonAr
HeliumHePotassiumK
LithiumLiCalciumCa
BerylliumBeScandiumSc
BoronBTitaniumTi
CarbonCChromiumCr
NitrogenNManganeseMn
OxygenOIronFe
FluorineFCopperCu
NeonNeZincZn
SodiumNaBromineBr
MagnesiumMgKryptonKr
AluminiumAlPalladiumPd
SiliconSiSilverAg
PhosphorusPCadmiumCd
SulphurSMercuryHg
ChlorineClBariumBa

What does a symbol indicate? The symbol of an element indicates the following.

  • It represents one particular element.
  • It represents one atom of the element.
  • It represents one atomic mass of the element.
  • Thus, the symbol H stands for

    (i) the element hydrogen

    (ii) one atom of hydrogen, and

    (iii) one atomic mass (i.e., 1.008 g) of hydrogen.

    Sample Questions
    (More Questions for each concept available in Login)
    Question : 1

    What is the symbol of Hydrogen?

    Right Option : A
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    Explanation
    Question : 2

    Which of the following are correct :

    (a) H is the symbol of Hydrogen.

    (b) Na is the symbol of Sodium.

    (c) Atomic mass of Hydrogen is 1.008.

    (d) S is the symbol of Scandium.

    Right Option : A
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    Explanation
    Question : 3

    What is the symbol of Bromine?

    Right Option : D
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    Explanation
     
     


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