NOTES: Periodic Table
KEEP THIS IN YOUR BINDER
EXPLANATION:
On the following pages is a collection of all the known chemical elements in the universe. There are
92 naturally occurring elements and over a dozen new elements that have been artificially produced
by nuclear reactors in laboratories since 1938. Following each name is a chemical symbol which is a
kind of chemical shorthand.
Like accepted abbreviations for mister (Mr.) or New York (N.Y.), there are also accepted symbols for
each of the elements, called atomic symbols. A symbol is composed of one or two letters that have
been assigned to represent that particular element. The first letter is always a capital. If there is a
second letter, it is always lower case. The next column lists the atomic number. This is the number of
protons or positive charges that each atom of this element has in its nucleus. The atomic number
determines the identity of an atom. The last column briefly explains an element's origin, name and
history.
List of the Elements
Actinium
Ac
89
1900, Greek aktis, ray
Aluminum
Al
13
Latin alumen, substance with astringent taste
Americium
Am 95
1944, for America
Antimony
Sb
51
Greek antimonos, opposed to solitude
Argon
Ar
18
Greek argos, inactive, neutral
Arsenic
As
33
13th century, Greek arsenikos, bold, valiant
Astatine
At
85
1940, Greek astatos, unstable
Barium
Ba
56
1808, Greek baros, heavy
Berkelium
Bk
97
1949, for Berkeley, California
Beryllium
Be
4
1797, Latin beryl, mineral
Bismuth
Bi
83
15-th century, German Weisse Masse, white substance
Boron
B
5
1808, Arabic borak, white; boron is a black powder.
Bromine
Br
35
1826, Greek bromos, a stench
Cadmium
Cd
48
1817, Latin kadmia, calamine, a zinc ore
Calcium
Ca
20
1808, Latin calcis, also calx, lime
Californium
Cf
98
1950, for the State and the University of California
Carbon
C
6
prehistoric, Latin carbo, coal
Cerium
Ce
58
1804, for the asteroid Ceres, discovered 1801
Cesium
Cs
53
1860, Latin coesius, sky blue
Chlorine
Cl
17
1808, Greek chloros, grass green
Chromium
Cr
24
1797, Greek chroma, bright silvery color
Cobalt
Co
27
1735, Greek kobolos, a goblin
Copper
Cu
29
prehistoric, Latin cuprum, copper
Curium
Cm 96
1944, for Marie and Pierre Curie
Dysprosium
Dy
66
1886, Greek dysprosilos, hard to get
Einsteinium
Es
99
1952, for Albert Einstein
Erbium
Er
68
1843, for Ytterby, a mining town in Sweden
Europium
Eu
63
1900, for Europe
Fermium
Fluorine
Francium
Gadolinium
Gallium
Germanium
Gold
Hafnium
Helium
Holmium
Hydrogen
Indium
Iodine
Iridium
Iron
Krypton
Lanthanum
Lawrencium
Lead
Lithium
Lutetium
Magnesium
Manganese
Mendelevium
Mercury
Molybdenum
Neodymium
Neon
Neptunium
Nickel
Niobium
Nitrogen
Nobelium
Osmium
Oxygen
Palladium
Phosphorus
Platinum
Plutonium
Polonium
Potassium
Praseodymium
Fm
F
Fr
Gd
Ga
Ge
Au
Hf
He
Ho
H
In
I
Ir
Fe
Kr
La
Lw
Pb
Li
Lu
Mg
Mn
Md
Hg
Mo
Nd
Ne
Np
Ni
Nb
N
No
Os
O
Pd
P
Pt
Pu
Po
K
Pr
100
9
87
64
31
32
79
72
2
67
1
49
53
77
26
36
57
103
82
3
71
12
25
101
80
42
60
10
93
28
41
7
102
76
8
46
15
78
94
84
19
59
1953, for Enrico Fermi
1886, Latin fluere, to flow
1939, for France
1886, Johan Gadolin, Finnish Chemist
1875, Latin gallia, Gaul or France
1886, Latin germania, Germany
prehistoric, Anglo-Saxon gold, Latin aurum
1922, Latin hafnia, Copenhagen
1895, Greek helios, the sun
1879, Latin holmia, Stockholm
1766, Greek hydro genes, water former
1863, indigo-blue light
1811, Greek iodes, violet-like
1804, Latin iridis, iridescent rainbow color
prehistoric, Anglo-Saxon iren or isern, Latin ferrum
1898, Greek kiyptos, hidden
1839, Greek lanthano, concealed
1961, for Ernest 0. Lawrence, inventor of the cyclotron
Prehistoric, English led, leed, or lead, Latin plumbum
1817, Greek lithos, stony
1905, Latin lutecia, ancient name of Paris
1774, Latin magnesia, ancient district of Thessaly, Greece
1774, Latin magnes, magnet
1955, for Dmitri Mendeleev, devised first Periodic Table
prehistoric, Latin mercurius, the god Mercury and planet
1782, Greek molybdos, lead
1885, Greek neos, new and didymos, twin
1898, Greek neos, new
1940, for the planet Neptune
1750, German Nickel, a goblin or devil
1801, for Niobe, daughter of Tantalus in mythology
1772, Latin nitro, native soda, and gen, born
1957, for Alfred Nobel
1804, Greek osme, smell, odor
1774, Greek oxys, sharp and gen, born or forming
1803, planetoid Pallas, discovered 1801
1669, Greek phosphoros, light bringer
1735, Spanish plata, silver
1940, for the planet Pluto
1898, Poland, native country of co-discoverer Marie Curie
1807, English potash, Latin kalium
1885, Greek praseos, leek-green color and didymos, a
Promethium
Protactinium
Radium
Radon
Rhenium
Rhodium
Rubidium
Ruthenium
Samarium
Scandium
Selenium
Silicon
Silver
Sodium
Strontium
Sulfur
Tantalum
Technetium
Tellurium
Terbium
Thallium
Thorium
Thulium
Tin
Titanium
Tungsten
Pm
Pa
Ra
Rn
Re
Rh
Rb
Ru
Sm
Sc
Se
Si
Ag
Na
Sr
S
Ta
Tc
Te
Tb
Tl
Th
Tm
Sn
Ti
W
61
91
88
86
75
45
37
44
62
21
34
14
47
11
38
16
73
43
52
63
81
90
69
50
22
74
twin
1947, Prometheus, fire bringer god of Greek mythology
1917, Greek protos first, and actinium breaks down to it
1898, Latin radius, ray
1900, from the element radium
1924, Latin Rhenium, Rhine province of Germany
1804, Greek rhodon, a rose
1860, Latin rubidus, red
1845, Latin Ruthenia, Russia
1879, Samarski, a Russian engineer
1879, Scandinavian peninsula
1817, Greek selene, the moon
1823, Latin silex, flint
prehistoric, Anglo-Saxon seolfor, Latin argentums
1807, English soda, German natrium, French sodium
1808, town of Strontian, Scotland
prehistoric, Latin sulphurum
1802, for Tantalus of Greek mythology,tantalizing
1937, Greek technikos, made artificially
1782, Latin tellus, the Earth
1843, for Ytterby, town in Sweden
1862, Latin thallus, a young shoot
1819, Scandinavian god Thor in mythology
1879, Latin Thule, northernmost part of the world
prehistoric, Latin stannum
1791, Greek mythology, Titans, first sons of the Earth
1783, Danish tung sten, heavy stone, mineral wolframite
Uranium
Vanadium
Xenon
Ytterbium
Yttrium
Zinc
Zirconium
U
V
Xe
Yb
Y
Zn
Zr
92
23
54
70
39
30
40
1789, for the planet Uranus
1830, goddess Vanadin of Scandinavian mythology
1898, Greek xenos, stranger
1905, for Ytterby, a town in Sweden
1843, for Ytterby, a town in Sweden
prehistoric, German zink, related to zinn, tin
1824, Arabian Zerk, a precious stone