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Questions and Answers
What is the main purpose of an element's symbol?
What is the main purpose of an element's symbol?
- To provide a shortened form of the element's name (correct)
- To honor the element's discoverer
- To indicate the element's location
- To represent the element's properties
Where are the names of elements often derived from?
Where are the names of elements often derived from?
- The element's symbol
- The element's discoverer or location (correct)
- The element's atomic mass
- The element's properties
What is the relationship between an element's symbol and its name?
What is the relationship between an element's symbol and its name?
- The symbol is always a letter, while the name is always a phrase
- The symbol is always longer than the name
- The symbol and name are unrelated
- The symbol is often a shortened form of the element's name (correct)
What is true about the capitalization of an element's symbol?
What is true about the capitalization of an element's symbol?
What is the origin of the symbol for Sodium?
What is the origin of the symbol for Sodium?
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Study Notes
Symbols and Names of Elements
Symbol of an Element
- A unique one- or two-letter abbreviation that represents an element
- Derived from the Latin or Greek name of the element
- Always capitalized
- Examples:
- H for Hydrogen
- C for Carbon
- Na for Sodium (from Latin "natrium")
Name of an Element
- A full descriptive name of an element
- Often derived from the element's properties, discoverer, or location
- Examples:
- Hydrogen (from Greek "hydro" meaning water and "gen" meaning producer)
- Carbon (from Latin "carbo" meaning coal)
- Sodium (from English "soda" and Latin "natrium" meaning sodium)
Correspondence between Symbol and Name
- Each symbol corresponds to a unique element name
- The symbol is often a shortened form of the element's name
- Examples:
- Symbol: H, Name: Hydrogen
- Symbol: C, Name: Carbon
- Symbol: Na, Name: Sodium
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