What is Chemical symbol?
A '''chemical symbol''' is the shortform of the name of an [[chemical element|element]]. Usually, it is made up of one or two letters, but sometimes it is made up of three letters. For example, the chemical symbol for [[oxygen]] is '''O'''. The chemical symbol for [[calcium]] is '''Ca'''. Before it is discovered and [[scientist]]s decided what it would be called, the chemical symbol for [[ununennium]] was '''Uue'''. All chemical symbols start with a [[capital letter]], and any letters after that are [[lowercase]]. The chemical symbols are listed with the [[chemical element|element]]s in the [[periodic table]]. Chemical symbols are also used when writing [[chemical formula]]s. For example, the chemical formula for [[water]] is H<sub>2</sub>O, meaning that it contains two [[hydrogen]] atoms and one oxygen atom. Many chemical symbols are the first one or two letters of the element. Others come from the name in another language. For example, the symbol for [[sodium]] is '''Na''', which comes from the [[Latin]] name ''Natrium''. ==References== *{{cite web|title=Chemical Symbols and Formulas |website=Chemistry LibreTexts |date=March 17, 2022 |url=https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Introductory_Chemistry/Introductory_Chemistry_(CK-12)/02%3A_Matter_and_Change/2.15%3A_Chemical_Symbols_and_Formulas}} [[Category:Symbols|Chemistry]] [[Category:Chemical elements|*]]