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SCIPAD - BIG IDEAS - BOOK 2
NATURE OF THE ATOM
Elements
Scientists have found more than 100 different types of atoms. A substance made of only one type
of atom is called an element. Each element has its own name. For example, carbon, oxygen and
gold are all elements. Each element is given its own special symbol. This symbol has one or two
letters, starting with a capital letter and usually derived from its name. For example, oxygen has
the chemical symbol ‘O’ and magnesium has the chemical symbol ‘Mg’.
Scientists have arranged all the known elements into a table called ‘The Periodic Table of Elements’.
18
1
2
1
H
1.0 13 14 15 16 17
2
He
4.0
3
Li
6.9
4
Be
9.0
5
B
10.8
6
C
12.0
7
N
14.0
8
O
16.0
9
F
19.0
10
Ne
20.2
11
Na
23.0
12
Mg
24.3 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
13
Al
27.0
14
Si
28.1
15
P
31.0
16
S
32.1
17
Cl
35.5
18
Ar
40.0
19
K
39.1
20
Ca
40.1
21
Sc
45.0
22
Ti
47.9
23
V
50.9
24
Cr
52.0
25
Mn
54.9
26
Fe
55.9
27
Co
58.9
28
Ni
58.7
29
Cu
63.5
30
Zn
65.4
31
Ga
69.7
32
Ge
72.6
33
As
74.9
34
Se
79.0
35
Br
79.9
36
Kr
83.8
37
Rb
85.5
38
Sr
87.6
39
Y
88.9
40
Zr
91.2
41
Nb
92.9
42
Mo
95.9
43
Tc
98.9
44
Ru
101
45
Rh
103
46
Pd
106
47
Ag
108
48
Cd
112
49
In
115
50
Sn
119
51
Sb
122
52
Te
128
53
I
127
54
Xe
131
55
Cs
133
56
Ba
137
71
Lu
175
72
Hf
179
73
Ta
181
74
W
184
75
Re
186
76
Os
190
77
Ir
192
78
Pt
195
79
Au
197
80
Hg
201
81
Tl
204
82
Pb
207
83
Bi
209
84
Po
210
85
At
210
86
Rn
222
Rubidium Strontium Yttrium Zirconium Niobium Molybdenum Technetium Ruthenium Rhodium Palladium Silver Cadmium Indium Tin Antimony Tellurium Iodine Xenon
Potassium Calcium Scandium Titanium Vanadium Chromium Manganese Iron Cobalt Nickel Copper Zinc Galium Germanium Arsenic Selenium Bromine Krypton
Sodium Magnesium Aluminium Silicon Phosphorus Sulfur Chlorine Argon
Lithium Beryllium Boron Carbon Nitrogen Oxygen Fluorine Neon
Hydrogen Helium
Barium Lutetium Hafnium Tantalum Tungsten Rhenium Osmium Iridium Platinum Gold Mercury Thallium Lead Bismuth Polonium Astatine Radon
Caesium
1. Write down the symbols of the following elements.
Some elements retain the symbol based on their old Latin name, even though the name of the
element has now changed into a more English one. For example, if someone asked you to guess
the chemical symbol for sodium you’d probably say ‘S’ or ‘So’. However, sodium’s Latin name is
‘natrium’, and its chemical symbol is ‘Na’.
2. Use a Periodic Table to find the chemical symbol and name for the elements described
below.
(a) Plumbum is a Latin word. Historically, water pipes were made from this soft, easily
worked metal, so the people who had the job of building and maintaining water
pipes were called “plumbers”.
Name of Element Chemical symbol
(b) Hydrargyrum is a Latin word meaning “liquid silver”. This element is the only metal
which is a liquid at room temperature. It was historically used in thermometers.
Name of Element Chemical symbol
(c) Aurum has been highly prized for thousands of years. This shiny, yellow metal is
often used to make jewellery.
Name of Element Chemical symbol
(d) Ferrum is Latin and is used to describe one of the world’s most widely used metals.
When the name of this element is used as a verb, it means to “press clothes”.
Name of Element Chemical symbol
(e) Kalium is an old Latin word. Its modern name is derived from a Dutch word
“potaschen” meaning “pot ashes”.
Name of Element Chemical symbol
(a) Lithium
(b) Boron
(c) Carbon
(d) Calcium
(e) Zinc
(f) Nitrogen
(g) Fluorine
(h) Hydrogen
(i) Helium
(j) Oxygen
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