Element Oddities: 11 Chemical Symbols that is confusing Explained

Almost all of the chemical symbols for elements within the regular dining table make sense; you will find a tiny selection, nevertheless, that seem to bear no reference to their element’s title. Following the regular dining table of refused element names a couple of days ago, questions regarding these elements arrived up, so right here’s a review of their confusing symbols, together with the reasons for them.

Sodium – Natrium (Na)

Sodium’s Latin name, ‘natrium’, derives through the Greek ‘nítron’ (a title for salt carbonate). Its initial supply will probably be the Arabic work ‘natrun’. Lots of contemporary languages nevertheless call the element natrium in place of salt, also it’s this title that its symbol that is chemical, arises from.

Potassium – Kalium (K)

‘Kalium’ is potassium’s Latin name, and derives from the Arabic ‘al qal ī y’, meaning “calcined ashes” (the ashes remaining whenever plant product is burned). Just like salt, a quantity of contemporary languages nevertheless relate to potassium as kalium, as well as the title lends the element its chemical icon, K.

Iron – Ferrum (Fe)

Iron’s Latin title, ‘ferrum’, provides it its icon Fe; it simply means ‘iron’ or ‘sword’, and it is possibly of Semitic origin. The element is famous by an array of different names in various languages, with a few sources suggesting there are over 200 different names for it. There’s an inventory of 213 of those right right here.

Copper – Cuprum (Cu)

There’s no shortage of elements known as after places, but copper’s title is much more subdued than many. Copper’s Latin title had been ‘cyprium’, which it self arises from ‘kypros’, https://hookupdate.net/xcheaters-review/ the Greek title for Cyprus. The area of Cyprus ended up being centuries that are famous because of its copper reserves. The title had been fundamentally simplified to ‘cuprum’, and also this sooner or later morphed in to the English version, copper.

Silver – Argentum (Ag)

The Latin name for silver, ‘argentum’, is thought to derive initially from a language that is indo-european most most most likely referring into the metal’s shininess. The united states Argentina is termed after silver (albeit indirectly as mention of the the Río de la Plata) and it is the country that is only be called after having a chemical element, as opposed to the other way around.

Tin – Stannum (Sn)

Tin’s Latin title, ‘stannum’, might be produced from the Indo-European ‘stag’ (dripping) because tin melts at a minimal heat. There’s also speculation it may be based on the Cornish ‘stean’ because of Cornwall’s tin that is famous, though likewise, other people declare that this term is just produced from the Latin.

Antimony – Stibium (Sb)

The Latin ‘stibium’ derives through the Greek word ‘stíbi’, meaning attention paint, talking about the application of antimony substances being an eye cosmetic that is ancient. This term is with in turn likely based on Arabic or Egyptian. Few nations relate to antimony as stibium today, despite its sign.

Tungsten Wolfram that is)

Wolfram ended up being known as following the mineral it had been present in, wolframite. This can be from the‘wolf that is german, or ‘wolf’s foam’, talking about the actual quantity of tin ‘eaten’ because of the steel during its removal. Wolfram continues to be found in a few languages. Tungsten is from Swedish, and means hefty rock – significantly apt, since it’s the 7th element that is densest into the regular dining table.

Silver – Aurum (Au)

The Latin title for gold had been ‘aurum’, meaning ‘yellow’, derived through the word ‘aurora’ (‘dawn’). The name ‘gold’, used in Germanic languages, means ‘yellow, shining metal’; other European languages utilize derivatives of aurum.

Mercury – Hydrargyrum (Hg)

Mercury’s initial Latin title was actually ‘argentum vivum’ (living silver), but Latin later borrowed through the Greek ‘hydrargyros’ (fluid silver) to offer ‘hydrargyrum’. The initial English title for the element ended up being ‘quicksilver’. Alchemists considered that it is near to silver, and as a result of this they known as it Mercury, following the earth closest towards the Sun. A number of the other metals understood since antiquity got names corresponding towards the planets, too, but Mercury’s is the only person that’s stuck.

Lead – Plumbum

Lead’s Latin title, ‘plumbum’, likely originally derives from a language pre-dating Ancient Greek. This Latin name is also the origin associated with English words that is‘plumbing ‘plumber’, as a result of historic usage of lead in water pipelines.

References & Further Reading