SCIENCE_CHEMISTRY
Internationally recognized symbols are used for common elements.
Introduction
Element is the simple and pure substance with a unique set of properties which can neither be broken down into other simpler forms nor modified into other different types. To this date about 118 elements have been identified and discovered. Ninety eight of them are naturally formed and the remaining twenty are artificially synthesized by humans.
Oxygen, Carbon, iron and gold are common elements to human society. Elements like gold silver are rarely found in nature and expensive too. Elements exist in three states(solid, liquid and gas) in nature. Some of the elements are stable and are found easily but some of them are very reactive (unstable ) and do not exist in pure form in nature. Different elements undergo chemical reactions to form new products called compounds. Chemical reactions of elements are studied with the help of their symbols. The short representation of an element is called symbols. The symbols of an element are represented by English letter alphabets. The symbols may contain a single alphabet or two alphabets.
Symbols of an element cannot be assigned randomly. The set of symbols are approved internationally, accepted and standardized by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry(IUPAC). Hence symbols of an element are the means of communication in the field of chemistry.
Rules of writing symbols of an elements:
Symbols of elements like hydrogen, oxygen, Carbon, Sulphur, Nitrogen etc. contain a single alphabet. This single alphabet is written in capital letters. For example symbol of Hydrogen, Oxygen, Carbon, Sulphur and Nitrogen are H, O, C, S and N respectively
Symbols of elements like Helium, Neon, Chlorine and Argon have two alphabets. While symbolizing these elements only the first letter is written in capital. For example symbols of Helium, Neon, Chlorine and Argon are He, Ne, Cl and Ar respectively.
Symbols of some elements are derived from the Latin words. Symbol of Sodium is Na(Natrium), Iron is Fe (Ferum), Gold is Au (Aurum), and Potassium is K (Kalium).
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