Chemistry / Unit 2 Chem 0214 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Chemical Symbols
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The idea
A chemical symbol abbreviates an element's name, its first letter capitalized and any remaining letters lowercase.
In practice
Cobalt's symbol is Co; the different capitalization CO instead names carbon monoxide, a compound of carbon and oxygen.
Where people slip
Many symbols derive from Latin, not English — Na for sodium and Pb for lead reflect natrium and plumbum, older names.
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