Elements with Latin Names

Elements of Periodic Table With Latin Names

Many elements on the periodic table can be considered special elements depending on the direction in which they are classified and their properties under consideration. 

In this lesson, we will introduce eleven (11) special elements that are unique and very important to know, because they can be confusing and tricky to remember. 

The elements are randomly scattered across the periodic table, not systematically as a group or period, going from group one through group 15 in the modern periodic table. 

What makes these elements so special that it is important to know them, as chemistry students? 

The elements areconsidered special due to the following;

1. They are unique.

The elements are unique and so deviate from the conventional nomenclature of elements in the periodic table. Many elements of the periodic table obtained their chemical symbols from their names (common names). For example, the first element on the periodic table is Hydrogen with H as its chemical symbol and atomic number one. All other elements on the periodic table follow a similar pattern to obtain their chemical symbols from the first letter or two of their common names, such as Helium, with a chemical symbol of He. These special elements, however, obtained their chemical symbols from their Latin names - the language of ancient Rome. Therefore, it is very important to know them to be able to differentiate them from others and easily remember them. 

2. Latin names

You may be wondering why are these elements represented with letters that have no connection with their names. One of such elements is Potassium with a chemical symbol of K.  What is even more confusing and difficult to remember to most students is that there is no 'K' in the name 'Potassium' at all. Confused, huh? We are here to clear your confusion, perhaps with a simple mnemonic.

Most scientific discoveries particularly in Chemistry, both organic and inorganic compounds are named after their founders or source of origin, during ancient times, prior to the establishment of IUPAC in 1919. It is by following this long tradition that the elements ended up getting their symbols from their sources of origin. 

Now, you may be wondering, why is sodium, Na, or why is potassium, K? The answer is just in a few lines below. 

What are those eleven (11) elements with Latin names? 

To answer this question straight, the elements are Sodium (Na), Potassium (K), Iron (Fe), Copper (Cu), Silver (Ag), Tungsten (W), Tin (Sn), Gold (Au), Mercury (Hg), Lead (Pb), and Antimony (Sb). The elements are eleven and are attached in the image below (See Figure 1.0 below).

Now, we will take them one after the other to briefly outline some important things about them, including names and origin. 

Fig. 1.0: Special Elements with Latin Names

1. Sodium (Na) 

Sodium is an element with atomic number 11, it belongs to group one of the periodic table and its chemical symbol is derived from its Latin name - Natrium; which means Egyptian natron, a form of natural mineral salt majorly consisting of hydrated sodium carbonate (Na₂CO₃). This makes Sodium to obtained its chemical symbol from its source. 

Fig. 1.01: Sodium metal (Na)

Sodium is a soft, silvery-white, solid(at 0૦C) and very reactive metal. Because of its reactivity, it is never found in a free state in nature. 

2. Potassium (K)

Potassium is another element that belongs to this category. It is also a member of group one elements with an atomic number of 19. It is in the same group as sodium (alkali metals) and therefore, shares similar chemical properties with sodium (Na). The name for the element potassium derives from the word potash, which is connected to an early method of extracting various potassium salts. The method involves placing in a pot the ash (obtained from burnt wood or tree leaves), followed by adding water, heating, and evaporating the solution. Therefore, the name Potassium is an English name meaning "pot ash.". Its symbol 'K' was obtained from the Latin name kalium through the Arabic word Al-qali (alkali).

Fig 1.02: Potassium metal

3. Iron (Fe)

Iron is solid metal (at zero degrees centigrade) with atomic number 26. Its Latin name is Ferrum and hence its symbol Fe, which means iron or sword. Iron belongs to group eight and the first transition series. Iron is the most common element on earth in terms of mass. It is a lustrous metal with a boiling point of 2,861૦C. 

Fig. 1.03: Iron metal

4. Copper (Cu). 

Copper is one of the most confusing of all the elements. Its Latin name was originally obtained from cyprium which comes from kyprus - a Greek name for Cyprus. The name was later modified to cuprum for simplicity. Copper deposit is abundant in Cyprus. It shares similar properties with iron because it also belongs to the first transition series. 

Fig. 1.04: Copper metal(Cu)

5. Silver (Ag)

The Latin name for silver is Argentum, and it was derived initially from an Indo-European language. Argentum means 'shiny" or 'white.' It was reported that Argentina was named after the metal Silver. Silver belongs to the second transition series with atomic number 47. 

Fig. 1.05: Silver metal (Ag).

6. Tungsten (W) 

Tungsten is a chemical element with the atomic number 74 and it has a symbol of W, which was obtained from its Latin name Wolfram. Tungsten is a rare metal found naturally on Earth. It was first isolated as a metal in 1783. The name was obtained from wolframite, which is one of its ores. The name Wolfram is from the German ‘wolf rahm’ which means the amount of Tin consumed during the extraction of the metal. Tungsten is from Swedish and it means heavy stone - likely being the seventh densest element in the periodic table.

Fig. 1.06: Tungsten metal (W)

7. Tin (Sn)

Tin is the 4th member of the group 14 elements with atomic number 50. It is a soft silvery solid metal that has a faint yellow hue characteristic. Tin’s Latin name, stannum, was probably derived from the Indo-European word ‘stag’ - meaning 'dripping' because tin melts at a low temperature (231.93૦C). 

Fig. 1.07: Tin metal (Sn)

8. Gold (Au)

The Latin name for gold was aurum, meaning yellow, derived from the word 'aurora'. It is a transition metal with atomic number of 79. It is one of the least reactive chemical elements and is solid under standard conditions, it can be drawn into a wire of single-atom width, therefore becoming the most malleable of all metals. 

Fig. 1.08: Gold metal (Au)

9. Mercury (Hg)

Mercury is a heavy silvery metal with atomic number 80, commonly known as quicksilver. Mercury’s Latin name was initially 'argentum vivum' meaning living silver, but Latin later borrowed from the Greek ‘hydrargyros’ - liquid silver, to get hydrargyrum. Merccury is the only metallic element that is liquid under standard temperature and pressure. 

Fig. 1.09: Mercury metal (Hg)

10. Lead(Pb)

Lead is another chemical element with the symbol Pb (from its latin name) and atomic number 82. It is heavy and denser than most common materials. The Latin name, ‘plumbum’, was originally derived from a language pre-dating Ancient Greek. The English words plumbing and plumber was associated with the latin name due to historic application of lead in water pipes.

Fig. 1.10: Lead metal (Pb)

11. Antimony(Sb)

Antimony is a chemical element with the symbol Sb and atomic number 51. It is lustrous gray metalloid, mainly found in nature as the sulfide mineral stibnite (Sb₂S₃). The Latin stibium  was derived from the Greek word ‘stíbi’ - meaning eye paint.

Fig. 1.11: Antimony metal (Sb)

Further Readings:

Check the following resources to read more about the chemical properties and history of the elements in detail.

1. Pictorial & printable Periodic Table

2. Live periodic table

3. Oddities: 11 confusing chemical symbols explained

4. PubChem periodic table.