Question

Three elements from the periodic table whose symbols are not made up from letters of the element's name. Reasearch why the chemical symbol for the element was selected. Summarize your findings in a table include each element's name, chemical symbol, atomic number, and atomic mass.

Answer 1

Chemical symbols for elements such as Iron (Fe), Lead (Pb), and Copper (Cu) come from Latin names 'ferrum,' 'plumbum,' and 'cuprum,' respectively. The symbols reflect the ancient discovery and long-standing knowledge of these elements.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question pertains to the origin of the chemical symbols for elements that do not seem to correlate with their English names. Instead, these symbols are often derived from Latin or Greek names known since ancient times. Here is a summary table for three such elements:

Element Name Iron Lead Copper
Chemical Symbol Fe Pb Cu
Atomic Number 26 82 29
Atomic Mass 55.845 207.2 63.546

The symbol for Iron (Fe) comes from 'ferrum,' the Latin word for iron. Lead (Pb)'s symbol originates from 'plumbum,' the Latin word for lead. Lastly, the symbol for Copper (Cu) is derived from 'cuprum,' the Latin word for copper. Each of these elements has a rich history, with their symbols reflecting their longstanding familiarity to humanity, dating back to ancient times.

Note: The atomic mass values mentioned here are approximate and represent the most stable or common isotopes of the respective elements.