Page 15 - Chemistry ICSE Class IX

The Language of Chemistry 3
“+H VJG ſTUV NGVVGT DG EQOOQP QP VYQ QT OQTG GNGOGPVU + UJCNN WUG DQVJ VJG
KPKVKCN NGVVGT CPF VJG ſTUV NGVVGT VJG[ FQ PQV JCXG KP EQOOQP ”
For example, the symbols for copper (cuprum), calcium, cadmium and
cobalt are Cu, Ca, Cd and Co, respectively.

What are the modern atomic symbols
The modern system of denoting the elements by their symbols was
introduced by the Swedish chemist J. J. Berzelius. According to this method,
the symbol of an element can be written as follows: John Dalton
ƒ For certain elements, the symbol of an element consists of the rst (1766–1844)
letter of its Common, Latin or Greek name. Such as a rst letter is :ŽŚŶ ĂůƚŽŶ ǁĂƐ ďŽƌŶ ŝŶ ϭϳϲϲ Ăƚ
written as a capital letter. ƵŵďĞƌůĂŶĚ ŝŶ ŶŐůĂŶĚ͘ ,ŝƐ ĨĂƚŚĞƌ
ƒ For the elements having the same rst letter, their symbols consist of ǁĂƐ Ă ƉŽŽƌ ǁĞĂǀĞƌ͘ :ŽŚŶ͕ ĂŌĞƌ
two letters the rst letter is followed by another not in common. The ŚŝƐ ƐĐŚŽŽůŝŶŐ͕ ďĞŐĂŶ ƚĞĂĐŚŝŶŐ Ăƚ
rst letter is written in capitals, while the second letter as small letter. ƚŚĞ ĂŐĞ ŽĨ ϭϮ͘ ,Ğ ďĞĐĂŵĞ ƐĐŚŽŽů
ƉƌŝŶĐŝƉĂů Ăƚ ϭϴ͘ >ĂƚĞƌ͕ ŚĞ ƚĂƵŐŚƚ ŝŶ
Common names, symbols and the source name of the symbol for some ĐŽůůĞŐĞƐ Ăƚ 'ůĂƐŐŽǁ͕ ĚŝŶďƵƌŐŚ͕
typical elements are presented in Table 1.3. A complete list of the elements >ŽŶĚŽŶ ĂŶĚ DĂŶĐŚĞƐƚĞƌ͘ ,ŝƐ
and their symbols is given at the end of the book. ĂƚŽŵŝĐ ƚŚĞŽƌLJ ŝƐ ƌĞĐŽŐŶŝƐĞĚ ĞǀĞŶ
ƚŽĚĂLJ ĂƐ ŽŶĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŵŽƐƚ ďƌŝůůŝĂŶƚ
Table 1.3 Common names, symbols and symbol sources of some typical elements ǁŽƌŬ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĮĞůĚ ŽĨ ƐĐŝĞŶĐĞ͘ ĂůƚŽŶ͕
Common name Symbol source Symbol ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ĮƌƐƚ ƟŵĞ͕ ƐƵŐŐĞƐƚĞĚ Ă
Hydrogen Hydrogenium (.CVKP) H ƐŚŽƌƚŚĂŶĚ ŵĞƚŚŽĚ ĨŽƌ ĚĞŶŽƟŶŐ
ďŽƚŚ ĞůĞŵĞŶƚƐ ĂŶĚ ĐŽŵƉŽƵŶĚƐ͘
Carbon Carbonium (.CVKP) C
Nitrogen Nitrogenium (.CVKP) N
Oxygen Oxygenium (.CVKP) O
Sodium Natrium (.CVKP) Na
Potassium Kalium (.CVKP) K
Copper Cuprum (.CVKP) Cu
Calcium Calx (.CVKP) Ca
Chromium Chrom ()TGGM) Cr
Krypton Kryptos ()TGGM) Kr
Antimony Stibium (.CVKP) Sb John Jacob Berzelius
Silicon Silex (.CVKP) Si (1779–1848)
Mercury Hydrargyrum (.CVKP) Hg ĞƌnjĞůŝƵƐ ƉůĂLJĞĚ Ă ŬĞLJ ƌŽůĞ ŝŶ
Iron Ferrum (.CVKP) Fe ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ƵƐĞ ŽĨ ŵŽĚĞƌŶ
ĐŚĞŵŝĐĂů ƐLJŵďŽůƐ͕ ĨŽƌŵƵůĂĞ ĂŶĚ
What is the definition of an atomic symbol ĞƋƵĂƟŽŶƐ͕ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ĂĐŝĚͲďĂƐĞͲƐĂůƚ
ĐůĂƐƐŝĮĐĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ ƐƵďƐƚĂŶĐĞ͘ ,Ğ
All the elements can be described by either one or two letters. Therefore, ĂůƐŽ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉĞĚ ƉƌŽĐĞĚƵƌĞƐ ĨŽƌ
instead of writing the full name of an element, we can simply write a letter ĚĞƚĞƌŵŝŶŝŶŐ ĂƚŽŵŝĐ ŵĂƐƐĞƐ͘ ,Ğ
or two. Thus, ĂŶĚ ŚŝƐ ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ ĂůƐŽ ŝƐŽůĂƚĞĚ
ŵĂŶLJ ĞůĞŵĞŶƚƐ͘
The symbol of an element is an abbreviation (short name) for the
full name of the element.
It may also be de ned as follows:
The symbol of an element is a shorthand notation for its name.
The symbol of an element consists of one or two letters derived from
the common or Latin or Greek name of the element. For example, the symbol
of hydrogen is H and that of helium is He.
The symbols of some typical elements are given in Table 1.3.

What is the significance of a symbol
The symbol of an element has both SWCNKVCVKXG as well as SWCPVKVCVKXG
signi cance.