Names and Symbols for Elements and Compounds – Lesson Summary

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Learning Objective

In this lesson we will learn how to write and interpret chemical formulas for elements and compounds.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this lesson you will be able to:

  • Write chemical symbols for elements.
  • Write chemical formulas for compounds.
  • Identify the number of each type of atom in a molecule based on its chemical formula.
  • Distinguish between elements and compounds based on their chemical symbols/formulas.

 
names and symbols for elements and compounds lesson contents

(Image: JK Sulit, Adobe Stock)

Lesson Topics

1 | Symbols for Elements

2 | Formulas for Compounds

3 | Some Things to Remember About Chemical Symbols

4 | Summary

Lesson Summary

  • Each type of atom or element can be represented by a unique chemical symbol consisting of one or two letters.
  • The first letter is a capital and the second letter, if there is one, is lowercase.
  • Each type of molecule or compound can be represented by a chemical formula.
  • The formula represents the number of each type of atom in a molecule.
  • It is therefore a combination of the symbols for the different atoms and numbers (subscripts) indicating how many of each atom is in a molecule.

 
NAmAsTe periodic table elements symbols words

(Header image: Idey, Adobe Stock)