118 Elements, their Symbols, and Atomic Numbers, Know their Importance and Usage

118 Elements, Their Symbols, and Atomic Numbers: The Periodic Table of Elements is one of the most prominent topics in the field of Chemistry. It helps understand chemical elements. Teachers, Students, Professionals, and Scientists associated with the chemistry field extensively use it. Students always refer to the Periodic table when they have to learn the properties of chemical elements, their bonds, including covalent and ionic bonds, and their charges. Dimitri Mendeleev is known by the name 'Father of the Periodic Table'. He is called so because he was the first person to invent and discover the Periodic table. It employs the notion of the atomic mass of the elements. When he discovered the first periodic table, it did not satisfy all the requirements of a knowledge seeker regarding chemical elements. Moreover, the ones which were known were not adequate and authentic. Later, a new Periodic table came into being. Henry Moseley, an English Physicist, discovered the latest Periodic Table. It follows Henry Moseley’s modern periodic law. This periodic law articulates that the attributes of Elements are the periodic functions of their atomic numbers. There are 118 Elements in the Period Table. Each of them has a different property and atomic number. Scroll down to learn more about the Periodic Table, its features, Symbols, Derivations of Symbols, Valency of Elements, Atomic numbers, and other information. 

Most symbols are alike to the name of the element. However, some elements' symbols have Latin roots. For example-

• Silver is indicated by 'Ag'; it is because its Latin name is “Argentum”. 
• Iron is denoted by the symbol ‘Fe’. The same reason applies here. “Ferrum” is the Latin name for Iron. Therefore, it is indicated with the symbol 'Fe'. 

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It can be tough for a beginner in chemistry to learn the names of all the elements in the periodic table. The reason is these symbols do not always relate to the English names of the elements. 

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Table of Content

Important Features of the Periodic Table

What is the Symbol of an Element?

How are Symbols Derived?

Valency of an Element

Atomic Number

Table of 118 Elements— Symbols and Atomic Numbers

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Important Features of the Periodic Table

• Elements are organized in increasing order, i.e., increasing atomic number
• A particular symbol represents Elements of the Periodic Table. The entire name is not used to denote them because the name and nature of some elements can be long and complex.
• Elements are organized in horizontal and vertical formats. Those arranged vertically are called ‘Groups’, and the ones horizontally are called ‘Periods’.
• The remaining elements are arranged according to periodic characteristics and trends. For instance, Soft metals are placed in group 1A due to their high reactivity with water.

What is the Symbol of an Element?

A symbol is a sign, code, or character that represents a chemical element. It usually has one to two letters. Some have three letters, which denote newly synthesized elements, while some are given that designation temporarily.

How are Symbols Derived?

The symbols are generally drawn by using either the first or first two letters from the English name of the elements. On the other hand, some symbols are evolved from their Latin or Greek names.

Let’s learn from some examples.

• Gold is known by its Latin name Aurum. So it is represented by the symbol ‘Au’.
• Similarly, Iron is denoted by its first two Latin words ‘Fe’ (Ferum).

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Valency of an Element

In order to attain the steadiest arrangement i.e., of a noble gas, the atom of an object makes efforts to acquire or displace electrons. This aptitude of an atom to attain or displace the negatively charged element (electron) to reach a steady configuration or static gas arrangement is referred to as the Valency of an element. The number of the negatively charged element (electron) in the outermost shell is known as valence electrons, and the outermost shell is called the valence shell.

The number of electrons in the valence shell establishes the valency of an object. It is significant to know the atomic number and electronic arrangement of an element to find out its valency.

Atomic Number

The notion of atomic number can be comprehended when you are well-versed with what the elements are made from. A single sort of atom helps evolve an element. An atom is the tiniest and unbreakable unit of matter, which contains electrons, protons, and neutrons. The nucleus, the centre of the atom, is positively charged and contains protons and neutrons. Protons are positively charged. Neutrons remain neutral. Therefore, they are chargeless. Electrons, the negatively charged component surrounds the nucleus.

The atomic mass of an element is the total sum of protons and neutrons. The atomic number is the sum of protons present in the centre of the atom, i.e., the nucleus, and is represented by the letter Z. The number of protons present in the nucleus determines the chemical characteristics of elements. This raises the need to get well-familiarized with atomic numbers and understand the chemistry of elements.
 
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Table of 118 Elements— Symbols and Atomic Numbers

Name of the Element	Symbol of the Element	Atomic Number
Hydrogen	H	1
Helium	He	2
Lithium	Li	3
Beryllium	Be	4
Boron	B	5
Carbon	C	6
Nitrogen	N	7
Oxygen	O	8
Fluorine	F	9
Neon	Ne	10
Sodium	Na	11
Magnesium	Mg	12
Aluminium	Al	13
Silicon	Si	14
Phosphorus	P	15
Sulfur	S	16
Chlorine	Cl	17
Argon	Ar	18
Potassium	K	19
Calcium	Ca	20
Scandium	Sc	21
Titanium	Ti	22
Vanadium	V	23
Chromium	Cr	24
Manganese	Mn	25
Iron	Fe	26
Cobalt	Co	27
Nickel	Ni	28
Copper	Cu	29
Zinc	Zn	30
Gallium	Ga	31
Germanium	Ge	32
Arsenic	As	33
Selenium	Se	34
Bromine	Br	35
Krypton	Kr	36
Rubidium	Rb	37
Strontium	Sr	38
Yttrium	Y	39
Zirconium	Zr	40
Niobium	Nb	41
Molybdenum	Mo	42
Technetium	Tc	43
Ruthenium	Ru	44
Rhodium	Rh	45
Palladium	Pd	46
Silver	Ag	47
Cadmium	Cd	48
Indium	In	49
Tin	Sn	50
Antimony	Sb	51
Tellurium	Te	52
Iodine	I	53
Xenon	Xe	54
Cesium	Cs	55
Barium	Ba	56
Lanthanum	La	57
Cerium	Ce	58
Praseodymium	Pr	59
Neodymium	Nd	60
Promethium	Pm	61
Samarium	Sm	62
Europium	Eu	63
Gadolinium	Gd	64
Terbium	Tb	65
Dysprosium	Dy	66
Holmium	Ho	67
Erbium	Er	68
Thulium	Tm	69
Ytterbium	Yb	70
Lutetium	Lu	71
Hafnium	Hf	72
Tantalum	Ta	73
Tungsten	W	74
Rhenium	Re	75
Osmium	Os	76
Iridium	Ir	77
Platinum	Pt	78
Gold	Au	79
Mercury	Hg	80
Thallium	Tl	81
Lead	Pb	82
Bismuth	Bi	83
Polonium	Po	84
Astatine	At	85
Radon	Rn	86
Francium	Fr	87
Radium	Ra	88
Actinium	Ac	89
Thorium	Th	90
Protactinium	Pa	91
Uranium	U	92
Neptunium	Np	93
Plutonium	Pu	94
Americium	Am	95
Curium	Cm	96
Berkelium	Bk	97
Californium	Cf	98
Einsteinium	Es	99
Fermium	Fm	100
Mendelevium	Md	101
Nobelium	No	102
Lawrencium	Lr	103
Rutherfordium	Rf	104
Dubnium	Db	105
Seaborgium	Sg	106
Bohrium	Bh	107
Hassium	Hs	108
Meitnerium	Mt	109
Darmstadtium	Ds	110
Roentgenium	Rg	111
Copernicium	Cn	112
Nihonium	Nh	113
Flerovium	Fl	114
Moscovium	Mc	115
Livermorium	Lv	116
Tennessine	Ts	117
Oganesson	Og	118

Final Thoughts 

Only 98 of the 118 elements—those with atomic numbers ranging from 1 (hydrogen) to 98 (californium; see periodic table)—are found in nature; the other elements are created in labs using the naturally occurring elements.

Laboratory synthesis has produced the elements Einsteinium (99), Fermium (99), and Nobelium (102). Although previously thought to be man-made, several elements discovered through radioactive decay following nuclear testing trials have since been discovered in nature, albeit in very small amounts, therefore this number may vary with time and greater knowledge.