Element Symbols Memorization (Honors Chemistry)
Memorization Rules
- You must memorize the following elements and their symbols; we will use them all year.
- First letter of the symbol must be uppercase. If a second letter is present, it must be lower case.
- Symbols are abbreviations of element names; many come from Latin names. Examples: H (Hydrogen), He (Helium), Na (Natrium), K (Kalium), Fe (Ferrum), Cu (Cuprum), Ag (Argentum), Au (Aurum), Sn (Stannum), Pb (Plumbum), Hg (Hydrargyrum), W (Wolfram).
Full List of Element Symbols (as given)
- Aluminum Al
- Antimony Sb
- Argon Ar
- Arsenic As
- Barium Ba
- Beryllium Be
- Bismuth Bi
- Boron B
- Bromine Br
- Cadmium Cd
- Calcium Ca
- Carbon C
- Cesium Cs
- Chlorine Cl
- Chromium Cr
- Cobalt Co
- Copper Cu
- Fluorine F
- Francium Fr
- Gallium Ga
- Germanium Ge
- Gold Au
- Helium He
- Hydrogen H
- Iodine I
- Iron Fe
- Krypton Kr
- Lead Pb
- Lithium Li
- Magnesium Mg
- Manganese Mn
- Mercury Hg
- Neon Ne
- Nickel Ni
- Nitrogen N
- Oxygen O
- Palladium Pd
- Phosphorus P
- Platinum Pt
- Plutonium Pu
- Polonium Po
- Potassium K
- Radium Ra
- Radon Rn
- Rubidium Rb
- Selenium Se
- Silicon Si
- Silver Ag
- Sodium Na
- Strontium Sr
- Sulfur S
- Thorium Th
- Tin Sn
- Titanium Ti
- Tungsten W
- Uranium U
- Vanadium V
- Xenon Xe
- Zinc Zn
- Zirconium Zr
Why this matters
- Symbols are the universal shorthand used in chemical formulas and lab reports.
- Correct capitalization is essential to avoid ambiguity (e.g., H vs h, Ne vs ne).
- These symbols tie to the periodic table and properties of elements; memorization supports learning chemistry fundamentals.
Etymology: Latin-origin and common sources
- Na (Natrium), K (Kalium), Fe (Ferrum), Cu (Cuprum), Ag (Argentum), Au (Aurum), Sn (Stannum), Pb (Plumbum), Hg (Hydrargyrum), W (Wolfram), Pt (Platinum).
- Others reflect English names (e.g., Al for Aluminum, Ar for Argon, He for Helium).
Quick Practice Prompts
- Try reciting the list aloud; cover the symbols and test yourself.
- Randomly pick 5 and write their symbols from memory.
- If you see an element name, recall its symbol, and vice versa.