Chemical symbols are special short names used in chemistry to represent elements, groups, and compounds. They make it easier for scientists to write and talk about chemicals without using long names all the time. For example, instead of writing "sodium chloride," we can simply write "NaCl," where "Na" stands for sodium and "Cl" stands for chlorine.
Element symbols are the most common type of chemical symbol. They usually consist of one or two letters from the Latin alphabet. The first letter is always a capital letter, and if there is a second letter, it is lowercase. This system helps scientists around the world understand each other, no matter what language they speak.
These symbols come from the element's name in Latin or another ancient language. For example, the symbol for gold is "Au" because the Latin word for gold is "aurum." Knowing these symbols is important for anyone studying chemistry or even just curious about the world around us. They help us understand how different substances are made and how they react with each other.
History
Earlier symbols for chemical elements come from classical Latin and Greek words. Some elements were known in ancient times, which is why their symbols stem from these ancient languages. For example, Pb is the symbol for lead, from the Latin word plumbum; Hg is the symbol for mercury, from the Greek word hydrargyrum; and He is the symbol for helium, a Neo-Latin name since helium was not known in ancient Roman times.
Sometimes, three-letter temporary symbols are used for newly created elements. For instance, "Uno" was the temporary symbol for hassium (element 108), whose temporary name was unniloctium, based on the digits of its atomic number. There are also some older symbols that are no longer used today.
Extension of the symbol
Chemical symbols can have extra details added to show more information. These details use superscripts (numbers above the line) and subscripts (numbers below the line). For example, 14N shows a specific type of nitrogen atom. The tiny numbers can tell us about the atom’s weight, its charge, or how many atoms are in a molecule, like N2 for two nitrogen atoms together.
Some groups of atoms also have their own short symbols. For example, Ph stands for a phenyl group, and Me stands for a methyl group. These help scientists write chemical formulas more easily.
Symbols for chemical elements
Chemical symbols are short abbreviations used in chemistry to represent elements. These symbols usually consist of one or two letters from the Latin alphabet. The first letter is always written with a capital letter, while the second letter, if used, is written in lowercase. For example, the symbol for hydrogen is H, and the symbol for helium is He. These symbols help scientists to write and communicate about chemical reactions and formulas in a simple and efficient way.
Main article: Chemical element
| List of chemical elements | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Z | Symbol | Name | Origin of name |
| 1 | H | Hydrogen | Greek hydro- and -gen, meaning 'water-forming' |
| 2 | He | Helium | Greek hḗlios, 'sun' |
| 3 | Li | Lithium | Greek líthos, 'stone' |
| 4 | Be | Beryllium | beryl, a mineral (ultimately from the name of Belur in southern India) |
| 5 | B | Boron | borax, a mineral (from Arabic bawraq) |
| 6 | C | Carbon | Latin carbo, 'coal' |
| 7 | N | Nitrogen | Greek nítron and -gen, meaning 'niter-forming' |
| 8 | O | Oxygen | Greek oxy- and -gen, meaning 'acid-forming' |
| 9 | F | Fluorine | Latin fluere, 'to flow' |
| 10 | Ne | Neon | Greek néon, 'new' |
| 11 | Na | Sodium | English soda (the symbol Na is derived from Neo-Latin natrium, coined from German Natron, 'natron') |
| 12 | Mg | Magnesium | Magnesia, a district of Eastern Thessaly in Greece |
| 13 | Al | Aluminium | alumina, from Latin alumen (gen. alumni), 'bitter salt, alum' |
| 14 | Si | Silicon | Latin silex, 'flint' (originally silicium) |
| 15 | P | Phosphorus | Greek phōsphóros, 'light-bearing' |
| 16 | S | Sulfur | Latin sulphur, 'brimstone' |
| 17 | Cl | Chlorine | Greek chlōrós, 'greenish yellow' |
| 18 | Ar | Argon | Greek argós, 'idle' (because of its inertness) |
| 19 | K | Potassium | Neo-Latin potassa, 'potash' (the symbol K is derived from Latin kalium) |
| 20 | Ca | Calcium | Latin calx, 'lime' |
| 21 | Sc | Scandium | Latin Scandia, 'Scandinavia' |
| 22 | Ti | Titanium | Titans, the sons of the Earth goddess of Greek mythology |
| 23 | V | Vanadium | Vanadis, an Old Norse name for the Scandinavian goddess Freyja |
| 24 | Cr | Chromium | Greek chróma, 'colour' |
| 25 | Mn | Manganese | corrupted from magnesia negra; see Magnesium |
| 26 | Fe | Iron | English word, ultimately from Proto-Celtic *īsarnom, a word related to the Celtic word for "blood" (the symbol Fe is derived from Latin ferrum) |
| 27 | Co | Cobalt | German Kobold, 'goblin' |
| 28 | Ni | Nickel | Nickel, a mischievous sprite of German miner mythology |
| 29 | Cu | Copper | English word, from Latin cuprum, from Ancient Greek Kýpros 'Cyprus' |
| 30 | Zn | Zinc | Most likely from German Zinke, 'prong' or 'tooth', though some suggest Persian sang, 'stone' |
| 31 | Ga | Gallium | Latin Gallia, 'France' |
| 32 | Ge | Germanium | Latin Germania, 'Germany' |
| 33 | As | Arsenic | French arsenic, from Greek arsenikón 'yellow arsenic' (influenced by arsenikós, 'masculine' or 'virile'), from a West Asian wanderword ultimately from Old Iranian *zarniya-ka, 'golden' |
| 34 | Se | Selenium | Greek selḗnē, 'moon' |
| 35 | Br | Bromine | Greek brômos, 'stench' |
| 36 | Kr | Krypton | Greek kryptós, 'hidden' |
| 37 | Rb | Rubidium | Latin rubidus, 'deep red' |
| 38 | Sr | Strontium | Strontian, a village in Scotland |
| 39 | Y | Yttrium | Ytterby, a village in Sweden |
| 40 | Zr | Zirconium | zircon, a mineral |
| 41 | Nb | Niobium | Niobe, daughter of king Tantalus from Greek mythology |
| 42 | Mo | Molybdenum | Greek molýbdaina, 'piece of lead', from mólybdos, 'lead' |
| 43 | Tc | Technetium | Greek tekhnētós, 'artificial' |
| 44 | Ru | Ruthenium | Neo-Latin Ruthenia, 'Russia' |
| 45 | Rh | Rhodium | Greek rhodóeis, 'rose-coloured', from rhódon, 'rose' |
| 46 | Pd | Palladium | the asteroid Pallas, considered a planet at the time |
| 47 | Ag | Silver | English word, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *silubrą (The symbol derives from Latin argentum) |
| 48 | Cd | Cadmium | Neo-Latin cadmia, from King Kadmos |
| 49 | In | Indium | Latin indicum, 'indigo' (colour found in its spectrum) |
| 50 | Sn | Tin | English word, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *tiną, perhaps meaning "shining" (The symbol derives from Latin stannum) |
| 51 | Sb | Antimony | Latin antimonium, the origin of which is uncertain: folk etymologies suggest it is derived from Greek antí ('against') + mónos ('alone'), or Old French anti-moine, 'Monk's bane', but it could plausibly be from or related to Arabic ʾiṯmid, 'antimony', reformatted as a Latin word. (The symbol derives from Latin stibium 'stibnite'.) |
| 52 | Te | Tellurium | Latin tellus, 'the ground, earth' |
| 53 | I | Iodine | French iode, from Greek ioeidḗs, 'violet' |
| 54 | Xe | Xenon | Greek xénon, neuter form of xénos 'strange' |
| 55 | Cs | Caesium | Latin caesius, 'sky-blue' |
| 56 | Ba | Barium | Greek barýs, 'heavy' |
| 57 | La | Lanthanum | Greek lanthánein, 'to lie hidden' |
| 58 | Ce | Cerium | the dwarf planet Ceres, considered a planet at the time |
| 59 | Pr | Praseodymium | Greek prásios dídymos, 'green twin' |
| 60 | Nd | Neodymium | Greek néos dídymos, 'new twin' |
| 61 | Pm | Promethium | Prometheus of Greek mythology |
| 62 | Sm | Samarium | samarskite, a mineral named after Colonel Vasili Samarsky-Bykhovets, Russian mine official |
| 63 | Eu | Europium | Europe |
| 64 | Gd | Gadolinium | gadolinite, a mineral named after Johan Gadolin, Finnish chemist, physicist and mineralogist |
| 65 | Tb | Terbium | Ytterby, a village in Sweden |
| 66 | Dy | Dysprosium | Greek dysprósitos, 'hard to get' |
| 67 | Ho | Holmium | Neo-Latin Holmia, 'Stockholm' |
| 68 | Er | Erbium | Ytterby, a village in Sweden |
| 69 | Tm | Thulium | Thule, the ancient name for an unclear northern location |
| 70 | Yb | Ytterbium | Ytterby, a village in Sweden |
| 71 | Lu | Lutetium | Latin Lutetia, 'Paris' |
| 72 | Hf | Hafnium | Neo-Latin Hafnia, 'Copenhagen' (from Danish havn) |
| 73 | Ta | Tantalum | King Tantalus, father of Niobe from Greek mythology |
| 74 | W | Tungsten | Swedish tung sten, 'heavy stone' (The symbol is from wolfram, the old name of the tungsten mineral wolframite) |
| 75 | Re | Rhenium | Latin Rhenus, 'the Rhine' |
| 76 | Os | Osmium | Greek osmḗ, 'smell' |
| 77 | Ir | Iridium | Iris, the Greek goddess of the rainbow |
| 78 | Pt | Platinum | Spanish platina, 'little silver', from plata 'silver' |
| 79 | Au | Gold | English word, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰl̥h₃tóm, related to "yellow" (The symbol derives from Latin aurum) |
| 80 | Hg | Mercury | Mercury, Roman god of commerce, communication, and luck, known for his speed and mobility (The symbol is from the element's Latin name hydrargyrum, derived from Greek hydrárgyros, 'water-silver') |
| 81 | Tl | Thallium | Greek thallós, 'green shoot or twig' |
| 82 | Pb | Lead | English word, from Proto-Celtic *ɸloudom, from Proto-Indo-European *plewd-, “flow” (The symbol derives from Latin plumbum) |
| 83 | Bi | Bismuth | German Wismut, from weiß Masse 'white mass', unless from Arabic |
| 84 | Po | Polonium | Latin Polonia, 'Poland' (the home country of Marie Curie) |
| 85 | At | Astatine | Greek ástatos, 'unstable' |
| 86 | Rn | Radon | Radium |
| 87 | Fr | Francium | France |
| 88 | Ra | Radium | French radium, from Latin radius, 'ray' |
| 89 | Ac | Actinium | Greek aktís, 'ray' |
| 90 | Th | Thorium | Thor, the Scandinavian god of thunder |
| 91 | Pa | Protactinium | proto- (from Greek prôtos, 'first, before') + actinium, which is produced through the radioactive decay of protactinium |
| 92 | U | Uranium | Uranus, the seventh planet in the Solar System |
| 93 | Np | Neptunium | Neptune, the eighth planet in the Solar System |
| 94 | Pu | Plutonium | the dwarf planet Pluto, considered the ninth planet in the Solar System at the time |
| 95 | Am | Americium | The Americas, as the element was first synthesised on the continent, by analogy with europium |
| 96 | Cm | Curium | Pierre Curie and Marie Curie, French physicists and chemists |
| 97 | Bk | Berkelium | Berkeley, California, where the element was first synthesised, by analogy with terbium |
| 98 | Cf | Californium | California, where the element was first synthesised |
| 99 | Es | Einsteinium | Albert Einstein, German physicist |
| 100 | Fm | Fermium | Enrico Fermi, Italian physicist |
| 101 | Md | Mendelevium | Dmitri Mendeleev, Russian chemist and inventor who proposed the periodic table |
| 102 | No | Nobelium | Alfred Nobel, Swedish chemist and engineer |
| 103 | Lr | Lawrencium | Ernest O. Lawrence, American physicist |
| 104 | Rf | Rutherfordium | Ernest Rutherford, New Zealand chemist and physicist |
| 105 | Db | Dubnium | Dubna, Russia, where the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research is located |
| 106 | Sg | Seaborgium | Glenn T. Seaborg, American chemist |
| 107 | Bh | Bohrium | Niels Bohr, Danish physicist |
| 108 | Hs | Hassium | Neo-Latin Hassia, 'Hesse' (a state in Germany) |
| 109 | Mt | Meitnerium | Lise Meitner, Austrian physicist |
| 110 | Ds | Darmstadtium | Darmstadt, Germany, where the element was first synthesised |
| 111 | Rg | Roentgenium | Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, German physicist |
| 112 | Cn | Copernicium | Nicolaus Copernicus, Polish astronomer |
| 113 | Nh | Nihonium | Japanese Nihon, 'Japan' (where the element was first synthesised) |
| 114 | Fl | Flerovium | Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions, part of JINR, where the element was synthesised; itself named after Georgy Flyorov, Russian physicist |
| 115 | Mc | Moscovium | Moscow Oblast, Russia, where the element was first synthesised |
| 116 | Lv | Livermorium | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California, which collaborated with JINR on its synthesis |
| 117 | Ts | Tennessine | Tennessee, United States |
| 118 | Og | Oganesson | Yuri Oganessian, Russian physicist |
Symbols and names not currently used
The following list includes symbols and names that were once used or suggested for elements but are no longer in use. These include temporary names and symbols given to elements before they were officially named.
Systematic chemical symbols
These symbols are based on systematic names given to elements before they received their official names. For example, element 101 was once called "Unu" but is now known as mendelevium. Here are some examples:
- 101: Unu, unnilunium; Md, mendelevium.
- 102: Unb, unnilbium; No, nobelium.
- 103: Unt, unniltrium; Lr, lawrencium.
- 104: Unq, unnilquadium; Rf, rutherfordium.
- 105: Unp, unnilpentium; Db, dubnium.
- 106: Unh, unnilhexium; Sg, seaborgium.
- 107: Uns, unnilseptium; Bh, bohrium.
- 108: Uno, unniloctium; Hs, hassium.
- 109: Une, unnilennium; Mt, meitnerium.
- 110: Uun, ununnilium; Ds, darmstadtium.
- 111: Uuu, unununium; Rg, roentgenium.
- 112: Uub, ununbium; Cn, copernicium.
- 113: Uut, ununtrium; Nh, nihonium.
- 114: Uuq, ununquadium; Fl, flerovium.
- 115: Uup, ununpentium; Mc, moscovium.
- 116: Uuh, ununhexium; Lv, livermorium.
- 117: Uus, ununseptium; Ts, tennessine.
- 118: Uuo, ununoctium; Og, oganesson.
Alchemical symbols
Main article: Alchemical symbols
Alchemists used special symbols to represent elements known in ancient times. These symbols were often linked to planets and metals. For example, lead was associated with the planet Saturn, and iron with Mars. These planetary names were used until new elements like antimony, bismuth, and zinc were discovered in the 16th century.
Daltonian symbols
The following symbols were used by John Dalton in the early 1800s when the periodic table was being developed. Modern alphabetic symbols were introduced later by Jöns Jakob Berzelius. Some of Dalton’s ideas still influence how we model molecules today, such as using different colored balls to represent elements in ball-and-stick models.
| Symbol | Name | Atomic number |
|---|---|---|
| A | Argon | 18 |
| Ab | Alabamine | 85 |
| Ad | Aldebaranium | 70 |
| Ah | Anglohelvetium | 85 |
| Ak | Alkalinium | 87 |
| Am | Alabamine | 85 |
| An | Athenium | 99 |
| Ao | Ausonium | 93 |
| At | Austriacum | 84 |
| Az | Azote | 7 |
| Bo | Bohemium | 93 |
| Bo | Boron | 5 |
| Bv | Brevium | 91 |
| Bz | Berzelium | 90 |
| Cb | Columbium | 41 |
| Ch | Chromium | 24 |
| Cl | Columbium | 41 |
| Cm | Catium | 87 |
| Cn | Carolinium | 90 |
| Cp | Cassiopeium | 71 |
| Cp | Copernicium | 112 |
| Ct | Celtium | 72 |
| Ct | Centurium | 100 |
| Cy | Cyclonium | 61 |
| D | Didymium | 59/60 |
| Da | Davyum | 43 |
| Db | Dubhium | 69 |
| Db | Dubnium | 104 |
| Dc | Decipium | 62 |
| Dc | Dvicaesium | 87 |
| De | Denebium | 69 |
| Di | Didymium | 59/60 |
| Do | Dor | 85 |
| Dn | Dubnadium | 118 |
| Dp | Decipium | 62 |
| Ds | Dysprosium | 66 |
| Dt | Dvitellurium | 84 |
| E | Einsteinium | 99 |
| E | Erbium | 68 |
| Ea | Ekaaluminium | 31 |
| Eb | Ekaboron | 21 |
| Eb | Erebodium | 42 |
| El | Ekaaluminium | 31 |
| Em | Ekamanganese | 43 |
| Em | Emanation | 86 |
| Em | Emanium | 89 |
| Es | Ekasilicon | 32 |
| Hs | Hesperium | 94 |
| Et | Ekatantalum | 91 |
| Ex | Euxenium | 72 |
| Fa | Francium | 87 |
| Fl | Florentium | 61 |
| Fl | Fluorine | 9 |
| Fr | Florentium | 61 |
| G | Glucinium | 4 |
| Gh | Ghiorsium | 118 |
| Gl | Glucinium | 4 |
| Ha | Hahnium | 105 |
| Hn | Hahnium | 108 |
| Hv | Helvetium | 85 |
| Hy | Mercury | 80 |
| I | Iridium | 77 |
| Ic | Incognitium | 65 |
| Il | Illinium | 61 |
| Il | Ilmenium | 41/73 |
| Io | Ionium | 65 |
| J | Jodium | 53 |
| Jg | Jargonium | 72 |
| Jl | Joliotium | 105 |
| Jp | Japonium | 113 |
| Ka | Potassium | 19 |
| Ku | Kurchatovium | 104 |
| L | Lithium | 3 |
| Lw | Lawrencium | 103 |
| M | Muriaticum | 17 |
| Ma | Manganese | 25 |
| Ma | Masurium | 43 |
| Md | Mendelevium | 97 |
| Ml | Moldavium | 87 |
| Ms | Magnesium | 12 |
| Ms | Masrium | 88 |
| Ms | Masurium | 43 |
| Ms | Mosandrium | 65 |
| Mv | Mendelevium | 101 |
| Ng | Norwegium | 72 |
| No | Norium | 72 |
| Np | Neptunium | 91 |
| Np | Nipponium | 43 |
| Ns | Nielsbohrium | 105 |
| Ns | Nielsbohrium | 107 |
| Nt | Niton | 86 |
| Ny | Neoytterbium | 70 |
| P | Lead | 82 |
| Pa | Palladium | 46 |
| Pe | Pelopium | 41 |
| Ph | Phosphorus | 15 |
| Pl | Palladium | 46 |
| Pm | Polymnestum | 33 |
| Po | Potassium | 19 |
| Pp | Philippium | 67 |
| R | Rhodium | 45 |
| Rd | Radium | 88 |
| Rf | Rutherfordium | 106 |
| Ro | Rhodium | 45 |
| Sa | Samarium | 62 |
| So | Sodium | 11 |
| Sq | Sequanium | 93 |
| St | Antimony | 51 |
| St | Tin | 50 |
| Tm | Trimanganese | 75 |
| Tn | Tungsten | 74 |
| Tr | Terbium | 65 |
| Tu | Thulium | 69 |
| Tu | Tungsten | 74 |
| Ur | Uralium | 75 |
| Ur | Uranium | 92 |
| Vc | Victorium | 64 |
| Vi | Victorium | 64 |
| Vi | Virginium | 87 |
| Vm | Virginium | 87 |
| Va | Vanadium | 23 |
| Wo | Wolfram | 74 |
| X | Xenon | 54 |
| Yt | Yttrium | 39 |
| Symbol | Dalton's name | Modern name | Atomic number | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| img. | char. | |||
| ☉ | hydrogen | 1 | ||
| glucine | beryllium | 4 | ||
| ● | carbone, carbon | carbon | 6 | |
| ⦶ | azote | nitrogen/azote | 7 | |
| ○ | oxygen | 8 | ||
| ⦷ | soda | sodium | 11 | |
| ⊛ | magnesia | magnesium | 12 | |
| alumine | aluminium | 13 | ||
| 🟕 | silex | silicon | 14 | |
| phosphorus | 15 | |||
| 🜨 | sulphur | 16 | ||
| potash | potassium | 19 | ||
| ⦾ | lime | calcium | 20 | |
| titanium | 22 | |||
| manganese | 25 | |||
| Ⓘ | iron | 26 | ||
| Ⓝ | nickel | 28 | ||
| cobalt | 27 | |||
| Ⓒ | copper | 29 | ||
| Ⓩ | zinc | 30 | ||
| arsenic | 33 | |||
| strontian | strontium | 38 | ||
| ⊕︀︀ | yttria | yttrium | 39 | |
| zircone | zirconium | 40 | ||
| Ⓢ | silver | 47 | ||
| Ⓣ | tin | 50 | ||
| antimony | 51 | |||
| barytes | barium | 56 | ||
| cerium | 58 | |||
| tungsten | 74 | |||
| Ⓟ | platina | platinum | 78 | |
| Ⓖ | gold | 79 | ||
| mercury | 80 | |||
| Ⓛ | lead | 82 | ||
| Ⓑ | bismuth | 83 | ||
| Ⓤ | uranium | 92 | ||
Symbols for named isotopes
Some special symbols are used for certain isotopes, or versions, of elements. For example, deuterium, a type of hydrogen, is given the symbol D, and tritium, another type of hydrogen, is given the symbol T. These symbols make it easier to write formulas in chemistry. For instance, instead of writing 2H2O for a special kind of water, scientists can simply use D2O.
In the past, scientists used special symbols for many different isotopes, especially those that break down over time. However, today, only a few of these older symbols are still used. Most scientists now use a different system to name isotopes, which includes writing the mass number above the element symbol.
| Symbol | Name | Atomic number | Origin of symbol |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ac | Actinium | 89 | From Greek aktinos. Name restricted at one time to 227Ac, an isotope of actinium. This named isotope later became the official name for element 89. |
| AcA | Actinium A | 84 | From actinium and A. Placeholder name given at one time to 215Po, an isotope of polonium identified in the decay chain of actinium. |
| AcB | Actinium B | 82 | From actinium and B. Placeholder name given at one time to 211Pb, an isotope of lead identified in the decay chain of actinium. |
| AcC | Actinium C | 83 | From actinium and C. Placeholder name given at one time to 211Bi, an isotope of bismuth identified in the decay chain of actinium. |
| AcC′ | Actinium C′ | 84 | From actinium and C′. Placeholder name given at one time to 211Po, an isotope of polonium identified in the decay chain of actinium. |
| AcC″ | Actinium C″ | 81 | From actinium and C″. Placeholder name given at one time to 207Tl, an isotope of thallium identified in the decay chain of actinium. |
| AcK | Actinium K | 87 | Name given at one time to 223Fr, an isotope of francium identified in the decay chain of actinium. |
| AcU | Actino-uranium | 92 | Name given at one time to 235U, an isotope of uranium. |
| AcX | Actinium X | 88 | Name given at one time to 223Ra, an isotope of radium identified in the decay chain of actinium. |
| An | Actinon | 86 | From actinium and emanation. Name given at one time to 219Rn, an isotope of radon identified in the decay chain of actinium. |
| D | Deuterium | 1 | From the Greek deuteros. Name given to 2H. |
| Io | Ionium | 90 | Name given to 230Th, an isotope of thorium identified in the decay chain of uranium. |
| MsTh1 | Mesothorium 1 | 88 | Name given at one time to 228Ra, an isotope of radium. |
| MsTh2 | Mesothorium 2 | 89 | Name given at one time to 228Ac, an isotope of actinium. |
| Pa | Protactinium | 91 | From the Greek protos and actinium. Name restricted at one time to 231Pa, an isotope of protactinium. This named isotope later became the official name for element 91. |
| Ra | Radium | 88 | From the Latin radius. Name restricted at one time to 226Ra, an isotope of radium. This named isotope later became the official name for element 88. |
| RaA | Radium A | 84 | From radium and A. Placeholder name given at one time to 218Po, an isotope of polonium identified in the decay chain of radium. |
| RaB | Radium B | 82 | From radium and B. Placeholder name given at one time to 214Pb, an isotope of lead identified in the decay chain of radium. |
| RaC | Radium C | 83 | From radium and C. Placeholder name given at one time to 214Bi, an isotope of bismuth identified in the decay chain of radium. |
| RaC′ | Radium C′ | 84 | From radium and C′. Placeholder name given at one time to 214Po, an isotope of polonium identified in the decay chain of radium. |
| RaC″ | Radium C″ | 81 | From radium and C″. Placeholder name given at one time to 210Tl, an isotope of thallium identified in the decay chain of radium. |
| RaD | Radium D | 82 | From radium and D. Placeholder name given at one time to 210Pb, an isotope of lead identified in the decay chain of radium. |
| RaE | Radium E | 83 | From radium and E. Placeholder name given at one time to 210Bi, an isotope of bismuth identified in the decay chain of radium. |
| RaE″ | Radium E″ | 81 | From radium and E″. Placeholder name given at one time to 206Tl, an isotope of thallium identified in the decay chain of radium. |
| RaF | Radium F | 84 | From radium and F. Placeholder name given at one time to 210Po, an isotope of polonium identified in the decay chain of radium. |
| RdAc | Radioactinium | 90 | Name given at one time to 227Th, an isotope of thorium. |
| RdTh | Radiothorium | 90 | Name given at one time to 228Th, an isotope of thorium. |
| Rn | Radon | 86 | From radium and emanation. Name restricted at one time to 222Rn, an isotope of radon identified in the decay chain of radium. This named isotope later became the official name for element 86 in 1923. |
| T | Tritium | 1 | From the Greek tritos. Name given to 3H. |
| Th | Thorium | 90 | After Thor. Name restricted at one time to 232Th, an isotope of thorium. This named isotope later became the official name for element 90. |
| ThA | Thorium A | 84 | From thorium and A. Placeholder name given at one time to 216Po, an isotope of polonium identified in the decay chain of thorium. |
| ThB | Thorium B | 82 | From thorium and B. Placeholder name given at one time to 212Pb, an isotope of lead identified in the decay chain of thorium. |
| ThC | Thorium C | 83 | From thorium and C. Placeholder name given at one time to 212Bi, an isotope of bismuth identified in the decay chain of thorium. |
| ThC′ | Thorium C′ | 84 | From thorium and C′. Placeholder name given at one time to 212Po, an isotope of polonium identified in the decay chain of thorium. |
| ThC″ | Thorium C″ | 81 | From thorium and C″. Placeholder name given at one time to 208Tl, an isotope of thallium identified in the decay chain of thorium. |
| ThX | Thorium X | 88 | Name given at one time to 224Ra, an isotope of radium identified in the decay chain of thorium. |
| Tn | Thoron | 86 | From thorium and emanation. Name given to 220Rn, an isotope of radon identified in the decay chain of thorium. |
| UI | Uranium I | 92 | Name given at one time to 238U, an isotope of uranium. |
| UII | Uranium II | 92 | Name given at one time to 234U, an isotope of uranium. |
| UX1 | Uranium X1 | 90 | Name given at one time to 234Th, an isotope of thorium identified in the decay chain of uranium. |
| UX2 | Uranium X2 | 91 | Name given at one time to 234mPa, an isotope of protactinium identified in the decay chain of uranium. |
| UY | Uranium Y | 90 | Name given at one time to 231Th, an isotope of thorium identified in the decay chain of uranium. |
| UZ | Uranium Z | 91 | Name given at one time to 234Pa, an isotope of protactinium identified in the decay chain of uranium. |
Other symbols
See also: Skeletal formula § Pseudoelement symbols
In chemistry, there are special symbols used beyond the usual element abbreviations. In Chinese, each element has its own character, but Latin symbols are also used, especially in formulas.
Here are some common symbols:
- A: A deprotonated acid or an anion
- An: Any actinide
- B: A base, often in Lewis acid–base theory or Brønsted–Lowry acid–base theory
- E: Any element or electrophile
- L: Any ligand
- Ln: Any lanthanide
- M: Any metal
- Ng: Any noble gas
- Nu: Any nucleophile
- R: An unspecified group
- X: Any halogen
In organic chemistry, symbols represent parts of molecules:
- Ac: acetyl
- Ad: 1-adamantyl
- All: allyl
- Am: amyl (pentyl)
- Ar: aryl
- Bn: benzyl
- Bs: brosyl
- Bu: butyl
- Bz: benzoyl
- Cp: cyclopentadienyl
- Cp*: pentamethylcyclopentadienyl
- Cy: cyclohexyl
- Cyp: cyclopentyl
- Et: ethyl
- Me: methyl
- Mes: mesityl
- Ms: mesyl
- Np: neopentyl
- Ns: nosyl
- Pent: pentyl
- Ph, Φ: phenyl
- Pr: propyl
- R: An alkyl group
- Tf: triflyl
- Tr, Trt: trityl
- Ts, Tos: tosyl
- Vi: vinyl
In organometallic chemistry, some symbols include:
- Fc, ferrocenyl: (C5H5)Fe(C5H4)
- Fp, (Cyclopentadienyl)iron dicarbonyl: (C5H5)Fe(CO)2
Exotic atoms have symbols too:
- Mu: muonium
- Pn: protonium
- Ps: positronium
Images
This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Chemical symbol, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Images from Wikimedia Commons. Tap any image to view credits and license.
Safekipedia