Final answer:
The statement that a chemical symbol for an element can have one or two letters is true. Symbols are based on the English or Latin names of the elements, with one or two letters, and larger elements' symbols can have three letters.
Step-by-step explanation:
A chemical symbol for an element can have one or two letters. This statement is true. Each element is designated by its chemical symbol, typically consisting of one uppercase letter, or a combination of two letters where the first letter is uppercase, and the second is lowercase. For instance, O represents oxygen, Zn represents zinc, and Fe represents iron. These symbols are mainly based on the English names of the elements, although some derive from Latin names, like Na for sodium (natrium) and Cu for copper (cuprum).
Most symbols feature one or two letters, but it's important to note that symbols with three letters have been employed for some elements with atomic numbers greater than 112. In chemical notation, only the first letter of a symbol is capitalized to differentiate element symbols from compound notations, such as Co for cobalt versus CO for carbon monoxide, a compound consisting of carbon and oxygen.