-Element: substance that is made up of only one kind of atoms and cannot be split
into simpler ones. ex: Metals (iron, copper) Non-Metals (oxygen, nitrogen)
-There are 92 different types of elements found naturally on earth.
- Scientists collect all the elements and arranged them in an ascending order according to
their atomic number in the “Periodic table “.
The periodic table showing the division of elements into metals, nom metals and
metalloids (The class of elements which lies on the borderline between metals and
non-metals and have both properties of metals and non-metals like boron, silicon,
arsenic and tellurium).
All the elements on the left side of metalloids are metals.
All metals are solids except mercury Hg, is a liquid.
All the elements on the right side of metalloids are non – metals.
Non – metals may be solid like: carbon, sulfur, phosphorus and iodine or liquid like
bromine or gases like oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, fluorine and chlorine.
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Dr. Marian Benyamin
Some rules to write the Chemical symbols:
- the scientists use to write the elements in symbols to make it easier
-The symbol must be written in Capital Letter (upper case).
- Sometimes the chemical symbol is made up of the first Letter of the
element name in English, ex: Hydrogen (H) -Oxygen (O)
Fluorine (F) Carbon (C ) Nitrogen (N)
- Some elements start by the same letter so we need to write a second
letter to differentiate between the elements, the second letter must be
small letter (lower case), ex 1:
- Carbon (C) - calcium (Ca) - Copper (Cu)
- Chlorine (Cl) - Cobalt (Co) - Chromium (Cr)
Ex:2 Nitrogen (N) -Nickel (Ni) - Neon (Ne)
-Sometimes the chemical symbol is made up of the first and third Letters of
the element name in English ex: -Magnesium (Mg) -Chlorine (Cl)
-Some symbols of Elements are from other language; ex:
* Iron (Fe) , Fe comes from the Latin name for iron “Ferrum “
* Sodium (Na) from Natrium
* Tungsten (W) from German name “Wolfram”.
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Dr. Marian Benyamin
First 20 elements in the periodic table
Element Symbol Element Symbol
1-Hydrogen H 11-Sodium Na
2-Helium He 12 -Magnesium Mg
3-Lithium Li 13- Aluminum Al
4-Beryllium Be 14-Silicon Si
5-Boron B 15-Phosphorus P
6-Carbon C 16-Sulfur S
7-Nitrogen N 17-Chlorine Cl
8-Oxygen O 18-Argon Ar
9-Fluorine F 19-Potassium K
10-Neon Ne 20-Calcium Ca
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Dr. Marian Benyamin
HHe LiBe BCNOF Ne
NaMgAl SiPSClAr KCa
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Dr. Marian Benyamin
