Name: _____________________________ Student ID Number: __________________ Period: ______
Date: ______________________
Unit 2
A.4 Supplement: The Chemical Elements
Elements with Names of Ancient Origin
Gold
Sanskrit–Jual, Anglo-Saxon–gold
Silver
Iron
Lead
Anglo Saxon–iron, Middle English–iron
Anglo Saxon–lead, Middle English–lead
Sulfur
Tin
Zinc
Elements with Names based on Color
Bismuth
Cesium
Chlorine
German–Wismut (white mess!)
Latin–caesius, sky blue
Greek–chloros-greenish yellow
Chromium
Indium
Greek–chroma, color
The color indigo
Iodine
Greek–Iodes, violet
Iridium
Phosphorus
Praseodymiu
m
Rubidium
Thallium
Zirconium
Latin–Iris, rainbow
Greek Phosphoros, light bearing, phosphorescent in air
Greek–Prasios+didymos, green twin
Elements Named for Celestial Bodies
Cerium
Helium
Mercury
Neptunium
Anglo-Saxon–seolfor, Akkadian–sarpu
(refined silver)
Sanskrit–sulvere, Middle English–sulphre
Anglo–Saxon—tin, Middle English–tin
Anglo-Saxon–zinc
the asteroid, Ceres (named for the Roman goddess of
agriculture)
Greek helios, the sun
the planet Mercury (named for the Roman messenger
of the gods)
the planet Neptune (named for the Roman god of the
seas)
Palladiu
m
Plutoniu
m
Selenium
Telluriu
m
Uranium
Latin–rubidos, deepest red
Greek–thallos, green shoot
Arabic–zargun, gold color
the asteroid Pallas (named for discoverer Peter S.
Pallas)
the planet Pluto (named for the Greek god of the
underworld)
Greek selene, the moon
Latin tellus, the earth
the planet Uranus (name for the Greek god of the
sky)
Elements Named After Places
Americium
Berkelium
Californium
Copper
Erbium
Europium
Francium
Gallium
Germanium
Hafnium
Hassiun
Holmium
The Americas
Berkeley, California, site of many elemental
discoveries
University of California (Berkeley)
Latin–Cuprum, the island of Cyprus
Ytterby, a town in Sweden
Europe
France
Latin–Gallia, another word for France
Germany
Latin–Hafnia, a name for Copenhagen,
Denmark. Bohr’s hometown
The German region of discovery
Latin–Holmia, a name for Stockholm
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Lutetium
Magnesium
Lutetia, an ancient name for Paris
Magnesia, a district in Thessaly, Greece
Polonium
Rhenium
Ruthenium
Scandium
Strontium
Terbium
Thulium
Ytterbium
Poland
Latin–Rhenus, the Rhine River
Latin–Ruthenia, a name for Russia
Latin–Scandia, Scandinavia
Strontien, a town in Sweden
Ytterby, a town in Sweden
Thule, an early name for Sweden
Ytterby, a town in Sweden
Yttrium
Ytterby, a town in Sweden
Name: _____________________________ Student ID Number: __________________ Period: ______
Date: ______________________
Elements named After People or Mythical Figures
Bohrium
Niels Bohr, Danish physicist, atomic theory pioneer
Niobium
Curium
Pierre and Marie Curie, discoverers of radioactivity
Nobelium
Einsteinium
Albert Einstein, originator of theories of relativity
Promethium
Fermium
Enrico Fermi, discoverer of nuclear reactions
Gadolinium
Johann Gadolin, a Finnish chemist who discovered
yttrium
E.O.Lawrence, developer of cyclotron
Rutherfordiu
m
Seaborgium
Lawrencium
Meitnerium
Mendelevium
Viennese physicist Lise Meitner, aunt of Otto Hahn
Dimitri Mendeleev, Russian developer of periodic
table
Tantalum
Thorium
Titanium
Vanadium
Mythological figure Niobe, daughter of
Tantalos, was turned to stone by Zeus
Alfred Nobel, founder of Nobel prizes and
inventor of dynamite
Prometheus, Greek god who gave mankind
fire
New Zealand Chemist Ernest Rutherford
Glenn Seaborg, discoverer of several
elements
Tantalos, Greek figure banished to
tantalizing fate in hell.
Thor, Norse god of thunder
The Titan, Greek gods
Vanadis, “wise woman” in Scandinavian
myths
Miscellaneous Elemental Names
Actinium
Aluminum
Antimony
Argon
Arsenic
Greek–aktinos, beam or ray
Latin–alumen, alum and astringent
Greek–anti-monos, not alone, not one
Greek–argos, inactive
Greek– arsenikos, male, virile
Manganese
Molybdenum
Neodymium
Neon
Nickel
Astatine
Greek–astatos, unstable
Nitrogen
Barium
Beryllium
Boron
Osmium
Oxygen
Platinum
Bromine
Cadmium
Greek–barys, heavy
Greek–berullus, a gem
from borax the source of boron+on ending because it
is similar to carbon.
Greek–bromos, a stench
Latin–cadmia, calmine (a zinc ore)
Calcium
Carbon
Latin–calx, lime, limestone
Latin–carbo, coal or charcoal
Radium
Radon
Cobalt
Dysprosium
Fluorine
Hydrogen
Krypton
Lanthanum
Lithium
German–kobald, evil spirit or goblin
Greek–dysprositos, hard to get at
Latin–fluere, to flow
Greek–hydros, water + genes, forming water forming
Greek–kyrptos, hidden
Greek–lanthanein, to lie hidden
Greek–lithos, stone
Rhodium
Samarium
Silicon
Sodium
Technetium
Tungsten
Xenon
Adapted from I. W. Ball, J. Chem. Ed. vol. 62, no 9, September, 1985.
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Potassium
Protactinium
Latin–magnes, magnet
Greek–molbydos, lead
Greek–neo + didymos, new twin
Greek–neos, new
German–kupfernickel, copper demon. “fools
copper” to miners
Latin–nitrium;Greek-nitron, native soda,
saltpeter.
Greek–osme, smell or odor.
Greek–oxy + gene, acid forming.
Spanish–platina, silver
English–potash, potassium salt
Greek–protos + actinium, before
actinium(decays into actinium)
Latin–radius, ray
decays from radium + on suffix for inert
gases
Greek–rhodios, roselike
English–mineral samarskite
Latin–silex, flint
English–soda
Greek–technitos, artificial
Swedish–tung + sten, heavy stone
Greek–xenon, stranger
Name: _____________________________ Student ID Number: __________________ Period: ______
Date: ______________________
Unit 2
A.4 Supplement: The Chemical Elements
Research Project: New Names for the Chemical Elements
Overview
The names of the chemical elements are a reflection of their history. Some elemental names are ancient
and of murky origin. Other names capture the chemical nature of the elements’ color or reactivity. More
recently named elements tend to mirror the place where they were discovered or the people who
discovered them. In this activity students will review the origin of the names of the chemical elements,
read about recent controversies in naming new elements, and finally, suggest new, alternative names for
some chemical elements, based on their history, chemical characteristics, or uses.
Background
The development of chemical knowledge is mirrored by our understanding of the elements. Beginning
with the realization that elements are fundamental building blocks of nature, and continuing with the
discovery of every new element—we see that as our knowledge of elements has grown, so has our
understanding of nature. Traditionally, the honor of naming new elements went to their discoverers. The
names, which have been selected over the decades, often show a deep knowledge of classic history and
literature. Greek and Roman gods account for several names and other elemental names are based on
ancient classical languages. Some of the discoverers found clever ways to illustrate the chemical
characteristics of the elements or the circumstances of discovery in the names they chose. For example,
the name “bromine” refers to the element’s strong, objectionable odor, while lanthanum was named after
the Greek term “to lie hidden.” There has also been a fair amount of boosterism in naming elements,
giving honor to the discoverer’s country, state, or hometown. For instance, the small Swedish town of
Ytterby has no fewer than four elements named in its honor, by virtue of having a gravel pit on its
outskirts that yielded the raw material from which these elements were isolated. In this activity, students
get to play the role of discoverer and suggest new names for elements, as though they had just been
discovered. It will be interesting to see if students can be as clever and insightful as the original scientists
who named the elements.
Getting Ready
If this activity is to be done during class time, you will need to gather references or resource materials so
students can research the history, characteristics, and uses of the elements.
Doing This Activity
1. Ask students if they know the origin of any element’s name. This discussion can include information
students have from past experience, as well as students’ conclusions about some of the more obvious
associations. Students may realize that berkelium is named for Berkeley, CA, but not know why. Use this
discussion to bring out some of the fine points behind the names of the elements.
2. Provide students with information on the derivations of the names of the elements. The student handout
may serve as a good reference.
3. Assign each student from one to three elements to study and research. Students should gather
information on the history of the elements’ discoveries, including who discovered each element. They
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Name: _____________________________ Student ID Number: __________________ Period: ______
Date: ______________________
should also research the chemical properties and the uses of their elements. Students will use this
information to suggest a new name for each element to which they have been assigned. The new name
should be based on some part of the information they learned about the element. Use the student handout
provided to help students organize their research.
4. Each student will prepare one to three squares for a periodic table based on the new elemental names
the class has created. Using a 3 x 5 inch card, have students write the traditional atomic number and
symbol of their element. Below the traditional symbol, they should write the new name they have
assigned to the element, along with a short paragraph describing why they have chosen that name.
5. Assemble all the new elemental names on a bulletin board or wall in the shape of a periodic table, so all
students can see the results of what their classmates have done.
Optional Extension
Give students the opportunity to learn more about the names of the elements. Using the information from
the list of “Origins of the Names of the Chemical Elements” as a starting point, have students add to and
elaborate on the brief descriptions of the origin of the name from the Student Page.
Assessment Opportunity
Ask students to write a brief essay on the five elements they believe have the most fitting or appropriate
name.
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Name: _____________________________ Student ID Number: __________________ Period: ______
Date: ______________________
Student Handout
Name of my element:
History of the discovery of this element:
Chemical characteristics of this element:
Some common uses of this element:
My new name for this element:
The reason I chose this name:
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