Chemistry homework!!!?

Question

1.Why are some chemical symbols so different from the names of the elements that they present?
2. Why do some symbols have one letter, some have two letters, and some have three letters?

Answer 1

1. They are not different. Na stands for natrium, which is the Latin and German name of sodium. K stands for kalium, which is the same for potassium.. The Arabic name: al Kali, alkali, get it?

2. If the givers could have used one letter, they would. But after they used C for carbon, it had to be Cs for cesium, Ce for cerium, Co for cobalt, and Cu for copper.

As for the three-letter names, that was an awful system made up by the International Union of Pure & Applied Chemistry (eeew!). That was a system intended to give symbols to elements that had not been invented yet. As the years go by, these elements are produced, and their discoverers are allowed to give them their names. At that time, they get two-letter symbols (sheesh!).

Answer 2

-the letters come from the latin names of the chemicals
-if two elements have the same first letter, they use add another letter...rarely do they need to add a third..only if the names of the two elements are very similar in latin

BF
4th yr Chem Major
U of O (Canada)

Answer 3

1. Some elements get their abbreviation from their Latin name.
2. To distinguish between elements that begin with the same letter. (Example: H is Hydrogen, and He is Helium.)

Answer 4

maybe because that letter is already taken (ex: B is taken by boron, so Barium cant be called B it is called BA) and i got no idea why some things such as lead are PB