Question

What do you understand by symbols of chemical elements? Give the symbols of carbon, calcium, copper, chlorine and cobalt.

Answer 1

The symbols of chemical elements are abbreviations used to denote them. [0.5 marks]

The symbols of the elements given in the question are as follows:

1. Carbon - C
The symbol of carbon is the first letter of its name. [0.5 marks]

2. Calcium - Ca
The symbol of calcium is derived by taking first two letters from it name. [0.5 marks]

3. Copper - Cu
The symbol of copper is derived from its latin name. The latin name of copper is Cuprum. So its symbol is Cu. [0.5 marks]

4. Chlorine - Cl
The symbol of chlorine is taken from the first letter and the letter that we predominantly pronounce while reading its name. [0.5 marks]

5. Cobalt - Co
The symbol of cobalt is derived by taking first two letters from its name. [0.5 marks]