Key Concepts: Chemical Symbols

Core Definitions

• Chemical Symbol: A one- or two-letter abbreviation for an element (e.g., H for hydrogen, Na for sodium).
• First Letter: Always capitalized (e.g., C for carbon).
• Second Letter: Always lowercase (e.g., Ca for calcium, not CA).
• Latin-Based Symbols: Some symbols come from Latin names (Na = natrium/sodium, Fe = ferrum/iron, Au = aurum/gold).
• Periodic Table: The organized chart listing all known elements with their symbols, atomic numbers, and masses.
• Element vs. Compound: Elements have single symbols; compounds combine symbols (e.g., H₂O, NaCl).