Spot the Element
Every element has a short symbol of one or two letters. Scientists all over the world use the same symbols, so a chemist in Japan and a chemist in Brazil can read the same equation.
In Part A, write the full name of each element next to its symbol. In Part B, do the opposite: write the symbol next to each name. Watch out! Some symbols come from old Latin names, so they do not match the English name at all.
Name: Date:
Part A: What is the name of each element?
| H | |
|---|---|
| O | |
| C | |
| N | |
| He | |
| Ca | |
| Cl | |
| Ne |
Part B: What is the symbol for each element?
| Iron | |
|---|---|
| Sodium | |
| Potassium | |
| Gold | |
| Silver | |
| Lead | |
| Copper | |
| Tin |
Notes for parents and teachers
Part A uses symbols that start with the same letter as the element, so most children can work them out. Part B includes eight elements whose symbols come from Latin or German names, such as Fe for iron (ferrum) and K for potassium (kalium). These are the ones children usually get wrong, and they make a good talking point.
Children can check their answers on the periodic table in the ChemistFella lab by tapping each tile. As an extension, ask them to find three more elements whose symbols do not match their English names, and to look up where the symbol comes from on each element page.