Ch chemical element name. Names of chemical elements

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The simplest form of matter that can be identified by chemical methods. These are components of simple and complex substances, representing a collection of atoms with the same nuclear charge. The charge of the nucleus of an atom is determined by the number of protons in... Collier's Encyclopedia

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How do chemical elements get their names?

Eight chemical elements, namely silver, gold, tin, copper, iron, lead, sulfur and mercury, have been known to man since prehistoric times, and received their names at the same time. The names of elements that were discovered in the 17th – 19th centuries, with rare exceptions, in European languages ​​have the same linguistic basis.

The names of chemical elements are formed in accordance with four principles.

The first principle of naming chemical elements is based on their characteristic properties. For example, actinium is active, barium is heavy, iodine is violet, xenon is alien, neon is new, radium and radon are emitting, rubidium is dark red, phosphorus is luminous, chromium is colored. Technetium should also be included here. The name of this element reflects its artificial production: in 1936, very small quantities of technetium were synthesized by irradiating molybdenum with deuterium nuclei in a cyclotron. The word "technos" is translated from Greek and means "artificial." This principle was first used in 1669 with the discovery of phosphorus.

The second principle is based on a natural source. Beryllium gets its name from the mineral beryl, tungsten (in English "tangsten") - from the metal of the same name, calcium and potassium - from the Arabic name for ash, lithium - from the word lithos, which is of Greek origin, meaning "stone", nickel - from the same name of the mineral, zirconium - from the mineral zircon.

The third principle is based on the names of celestial objects or the names of mythical heroes and ancient gods. Chemical elements that received their names in this way include helium, neptunium, plutonium, promethium, selenium, titanium, thorium, and uranium. The name cobalt comes from the name of the evil spirit of metallurgists and miners - Kobold. This principle, like the previous one, appeared about a hundred years after the application of the first, with the discovery of tungsten, nickel, and then uranium and tellurium.

The fourth principle is based on the name of the area where the element was discovered. These include americium, europium, germanium, francium, gallium, californium, strontium and others. This method of naming chemical elements owes its appearance to the discovery of yttrium in 1794. The largest number of such names is associated with Sweden, because it was here that 20 chemical elements were discovered. Four elements are named after the town of Ytterby, near which the mineral bastnäsite was discovered in 1788: ytterbium, yttrium, terbium and erbium. In addition, here you need to add holmium, whose name comes from the Latin name of Stockholm, as well as scandium, which got its name in honor of Scandinavia.

4 principles for naming chemical elements. Pictures with links.

The classification of inorganic substances and their nomenclature are based on the simplest and most constant characteristic over time - chemical composition, which shows the atoms of the elements that form a given substance in their numerical ratio. If a substance is made up of atoms of one chemical element, i.e. is the form of existence of this element in free form, then it is called simple substance; if the substance is made up of atoms of two or more elements, then it is called complex substance. All simple substances (except monatomic ones) and all complex substances are usually called chemical compounds, since in them atoms of one or different elements are connected to each other by chemical bonds.

The nomenclature of inorganic substances consists of formulas and names. Chemical formula - depiction of the composition of a substance using symbols of chemical elements, numerical indices and some other signs. Chemical name - image of the composition of a substance using a word or group of words. The construction of chemical formulas and names is determined by the system nomenclature rules.

The symbols and names of chemical elements are given in the Periodic Table of Elements by D.I. Mendeleev. The elements are conventionally divided into metals And nonmetals . Non-metals include all elements of group VIIIA (noble gases) and group VIIA (halogens), elements of group VIA (except polonium), elements nitrogen, phosphorus, arsenic (VA group); carbon, silicon (IVA group); boron (IIIA group), as well as hydrogen. The remaining elements are classified as metals.

When compiling the names of substances, Russian names of elements are usually used, for example, dioxygen, xenon difluoride, potassium selenate. Traditionally, for some elements, the roots of their Latin names are introduced into derivative terms:

For example: carbonate, manganate, oxide, sulfide, silicate.

Titles simple substances consist of one word - the name of a chemical element with a numerical prefix, for example:

The following are used numerical prefixes:

An indefinite number is indicated by a numeric prefix n- poly.

For some simple substances they also use special names such as O 3 - ozone, P 4 - white phosphorus.

Chemical formulas complex substances made up of the notation electropositive(conditional and real cations) and electronegative(conditional and real anions) components, for example, CuSO 4 (here Cu 2+ is a real cation, SO 4 2 - is a real anion) and PCl 3 (here P +III is a conditional cation, Cl -I is a conditional anion).

Titles complex substances composed according to chemical formulas from right to left. They are made up of two words - the names of electronegative components (in the nominative case) and electropositive components (in the genitive case), for example:

CuSO 4 - copper(II) sulfate
PCl 3 - phosphorus trichloride
LaCl 3 - lanthanum(III) chloride
CO - carbon monoxide

The number of electropositive and electronegative components in the names is indicated by the numerical prefixes given above (universal method), or by oxidation states (if they can be determined by the formula) using Roman numerals in parentheses (the plus sign is omitted). In some cases, the charge of ions is given (for cations and anions of complex composition), using Arabic numerals with the corresponding sign.

The following special names are used for common multielement cations and anions:

For a small number of well-known substances it is also used special titles:

1. Acidic and basic hydroxides. Salts

Hydroxides are a type of complex substances that contain atoms of some element E (except fluorine and oxygen) and hydroxyl groups OH; general formula of hydroxides E(OH) n, Where n= 1÷6. Form of hydroxides E(OH) n called ortho-shape; at n> 2 hydroxide can also be found in meta-form, which includes, in addition to E atoms and OH groups, oxygen atoms O, for example E(OH) 3 and EO(OH), E(OH) 4 and E(OH) 6 and EO 2 (OH) 2.

Hydroxides are divided into two groups with opposite chemical properties: acidic and basic hydroxides.

Acidic hydroxides contain hydrogen atoms, which can be replaced by metal atoms subject to the rule of stoichiometric valency. Most acid hydroxides are found in meta-form, and hydrogen atoms in the formulas of acidic hydroxides are given first place, for example, H 2 SO 4, HNO 3 and H 2 CO 3, and not SO 2 (OH) 2, NO 2 (OH) and CO (OH) 2. The general formula of acid hydroxides is H X EO at, where the electronegative component EO y x - called an acid residue. If not all hydrogen atoms are replaced by a metal, then they remain as part of the acid residue.

The names of common acid hydroxides consist of two words: the proper name with the ending “aya” and the group word “acid”. Here are the formulas and proper names of common acid hydroxides and their acidic residues (a dash means that the hydroxide is not known in free form or in an acidic aqueous solution):

Less common acid hydroxides are named according to nomenclature rules for complex compounds, for example:

The names of acid residues are used to construct the names of salts.

Basic hydroxides contain hydroxide ions, which can be replaced by acid residues subject to the rule of stoichiometric valence. All basic hydroxides are found in ortho-form; their general formula is M(OH) n, Where n= 1.2 (less often 3.4) and M n+ is a metal cation. Examples of formulas and names of basic hydroxides:

The most important chemical property of basic and acidic hydroxides is their interaction with each other to form salts ( salt formation reaction), For example:

Ca(OH) 2 + H 2 SO 4 = CaSO 4 + 2H 2 O

Ca(OH) 2 + 2H 2 SO 4 = Ca(HSO 4) 2 + 2H 2 O

2Ca(OH)2 + H2SO4 = Ca2SO4(OH)2 + 2H2O

Salts are a type of complex substances that contain M cations n+ and acidic residues*.

Salts with general formula M X(EO at)n called average salts, and salts with unsubstituted hydrogen atoms - sour salts. Sometimes salts also contain hydroxide and/or oxide ions; such salts are called main salts. Here are examples and names of salts:

Acid and basic salts can be converted to middle salts by reaction with the appropriate basic and acidic hydroxide, for example:

Ca(HSO 4) 2 + Ca(OH) = CaSO 4 + 2H 2 O

Ca 2 SO 4 (OH) 2 + H 2 SO 4 = Ca 2 SO 4 + 2H 2 O

There are also salts containing two different cations: they are often called double salts, For example:

2. Acidic and basic oxides

Oxides E X ABOUT at- products of complete dehydration of hydroxides:

Acid hydroxides (H 2 SO 4, H 2 CO 3) acid oxides answer(SO 3, CO 2), and basic hydroxides (NaOH, Ca(OH) 2) - basicoxides(Na 2 O, CaO), and the oxidation state of element E does not change when moving from hydroxide to oxide. Example of formulas and names of oxides:

Acidic and basic oxides retain the salt-forming properties of the corresponding hydroxides when interacting with hydroxides of opposite properties or with each other:

N 2 O 5 + 2NaOH = 2NaNO 3 + H 2 O

3CaO + 2H3PO4 = Ca3(PO4)2 + 3H2O

La 2 O 3 + 3SO 3 = La 2 (SO 4) 3

3. Amphoteric oxides and hydroxides

Amphotericity hydroxides and oxides - a chemical property consisting in the formation of two rows of salts by them, for example, for aluminum hydroxide and aluminum oxide:

(a) 2Al(OH) 3 + 3SO 3 = Al 2 (SO 4) 3 + 3H 2 O

Al 2 O 3 + 3H 2 SO 4 = Al 2 (SO 4) 3 + 3H 2 O

(b) 2Al(OH) 3 + Na 2 O = 2NaAlO 2 + 3H 2 O

Al 2 O 3 + 2NaOH = 2NaAlO 2 + H 2 O

Thus, aluminum hydroxide and oxide in reactions (a) exhibit the properties main hydroxides and oxides, i.e. react with acidic hydroxides and oxide, forming the corresponding salt - aluminum sulfate Al 2 (SO 4) 3, while in reactions (b) they also exhibit the properties acidic hydroxides and oxides, i.e. react with basic hydroxide and oxide, forming a salt - sodium dioxoaluminate (III) NaAlO 2. In the first case, the element aluminum exhibits the property of a metal and is part of the electropositive component (Al 3+), in the second - the property of a non-metal and is part of the electronegative component of the salt formula (AlO 2 -).

If these reactions occur in an aqueous solution, then the composition of the resulting salts changes, but the presence of aluminum in the cation and anion remains:

2Al(OH) 3 + 3H 2 SO 4 = 2 (SO 4) 3

Al(OH) 3 + NaOH = Na

Here, complex ions 3+ - hexaaqualuminium(III) cation, - - tetrahydroxoaluminate(III) ion are highlighted in square brackets.

Elements that exhibit metallic and non-metallic properties in compounds are called amphoteric, these include elements of the A-groups of the Periodic Table - Be, Al, Ga, Ge, Sn, Pb, Sb, Bi, Po, etc., as well as most elements of the B- groups - Cr, Mn, Fe, Zn, Cd, Au, etc. Amphoteric oxides are called the same as basic ones, for example:

Amphoteric hydroxides (if the oxidation state of the element exceeds + II) can be found in ortho- or (and) meta- form. Here are examples of amphoteric hydroxides:

Amphoteric oxides do not always correspond to amphoteric hydroxides, since when trying to obtain the latter, hydrated oxides are formed, for example:

If an amphoteric element in a compound has several oxidation states, then the amphotericity of the corresponding oxides and hydroxides (and, consequently, the amphotericity of the element itself) will be expressed differently. For low oxidation states, hydroxides and oxides have a predominance of basic properties, and the element itself has metallic properties, so it is almost always included in the composition of cations. For high oxidation states, on the contrary, hydroxides and oxides have a predominance of acidic properties, and the element itself has non-metallic properties, so it is almost always included in the composition of anions. Thus, manganese(II) oxide and hydroxide have dominant basic properties, and manganese itself is part of cations of the 2+ type, while manganese(VII) oxide and hydroxide have dominant acidic properties, and manganese itself is part of the MnO 4 - type anion. . Amphoteric hydroxides with a high predominance of acidic properties are assigned formulas and names modeled after acidic hydroxides, for example HMn VII O 4 - manganese acid.

Thus, the division of elements into metals and non-metals is conditional; Between the elements (Na, K, Ca, Ba, etc.) with purely metallic properties and the elements (F, O, N, Cl, S, C, etc.) with purely non-metallic properties, there is a large group of elements with amphoteric properties.

4. Binary compounds

A broad type of inorganic complex substances are binary compounds. These include, first of all, all two-element compounds (except for basic, acidic and amphoteric oxides), for example H 2 O, KBr, H 2 S, Cs 2 (S 2), N 2 O, NH 3, HN 3, CaC 2 , SiH 4 . The electropositive and electronegative components of the formulas of these compounds include individual atoms or bonded groups of atoms of the same element.

Multielement substances, in the formulas of which one of the components contains unrelated atoms of several elements, as well as single-element or multi-element groups of atoms (except hydroxides and salts), are considered as binary compounds, for example CSO, IO 2 F 3, SBrO 2 F, CrO (O 2) 2, PSI 3, (CaTi)O 3, (FeCu)S 2, Hg(CN) 2, (PF 3) 2 O, VCl 2 (NH 2). Thus, CSO can be represented as a CS 2 compound in which one sulfur atom is replaced by an oxygen atom.

The names of binary compounds are constructed according to the usual nomenclature rules, for example:

For some binary compounds, special names are used, a list of which was given earlier.

The chemical properties of binary compounds are quite diverse, so they are often divided into groups by the name of anions, i.e. halides, chalcogenides, nitrides, carbides, hydrides, etc. are considered separately. Among binary compounds there are also those that have some characteristics of other types of inorganic substances. Thus, the compounds CO, NO, NO 2, and (Fe II Fe 2 III) O 4, the names of which are constructed using the word oxide, cannot be classified as oxides (acidic, basic, amphoteric). Carbon monoxide CO, nitrogen monoxide NO and nitrogen dioxide NO 2 do not have corresponding acid hydroxides (although these oxides are formed by non-metals C and N), nor do they form salts whose anions would include atoms C II, N II and N IV. Double oxide (Fe II Fe 2 III) O 4 - diiron(III)-iron(II) oxide, although it contains atoms of the amphoteric element - iron in the electropositive component, but in two different oxidation states, as a result of which, when interacting with acid hydroxides, it forms not one, but two different salts.

Binary compounds such as AgF, KBr, Na 2 S, Ba(HS) 2, NaCN, NH 4 Cl, and Pb(N 3) 2 are built, like salts, from real cations and anions, which is why they are called salt-like binary compounds (or simply salts). They can be considered as products of the substitution of hydrogen atoms in the compounds HF, HCl, HBr, H 2 S, HCN and HN 3. The latter in an aqueous solution have an acidic function, and therefore their solutions are called acids, for example HF (aqua) - hydrofluoric acid, H 2 S (aqua) - hydrosulfide acid. However, they do not belong to the type of acid hydroxides, and their derivatives do not belong to the salts within the classification of inorganic substances.

Several tens of thousands of the most important chemical substances are tightly integrated into our lives, clothing and footwear, supplying our body with useful elements, providing us with optimal conditions for life. Oils, alkalis, acids, gases, mineral fertilizers, paints, plastics are only a small part of the products created on the basis of chemical elements.

Did not know?

When we wake up in the morning, we wash our face and brush our teeth. Soap, toothpaste, shampoo, lotions, creams are products created on the basis of chemistry. We brew tea, put a piece of lemon into the glass, and watch how the liquid becomes lighter. Before our eyes, a chemical reaction occurs - the acid-base interaction of several products. The bathroom and kitchen are each, in their own way, a mini-laboratory of a house or apartment, where something is stored in a container or bottle. What substance, their name we find out from the label: salt, soda, whiteness, etc.

Especially a lot of chemical processes occur in the kitchen during food preparation. Frying pans and saucepans successfully replace flasks and retorts here, and each new product sent to them carries out its own separate chemical reaction, interacting with the composition located there. Next, a person, consuming the dishes he has prepared, starts the mechanism of digesting food. This is also true in everything. Our whole life is predetermined by elements from the periodic table of Mendeleev.

Open table

Initially, the table created by Dmitry Ivanovich consisted of 63 elements. That's exactly how many of them had been discovered by that time. The scientist understood that he had classified a far from complete list of elements existing and discovered in different years by his predecessors in nature. And he turned out to be right. More than a hundred years later, his table already consisted of 103 items, by the beginning of the 2000s - of 109, and discoveries continue. Scientists around the world are struggling to calculate new elements, relying on a basis - a table created by a Russian scientist.

Mendeleev's periodic law is the basis of chemistry. The interactions between atoms of certain elements gave rise to basic substances in nature. Those, in turn, are previously unknown and more complex derivatives. All existing names of substances today come from elements that interact with each other in the process of chemical reactions. Molecules of substances reflect the composition of the elements in them, as well as the number of atoms.

Each element has its own letter symbol

In the periodic table, the names of elements are given in both literal and symbolic terms. We pronounce some, and use others when writing formulas. Write down the names of the substances separately and look at a number of their symbols. It shows what elements the product consists of, how many atoms of a particular component each specific substance was able to synthesize during a chemical reaction. Everything is quite simple and clear, thanks to the presence of symbols.

The basis for the symbolic expression of elements was the initial, and, in most cases, one of the subsequent letters from the Latin name of the element. The system was proposed at the beginning of the 19th century by Berzelius, a chemist from Sweden. Today, one letter expresses the names of two dozen elements. The rest are two-letter. Examples of such names: copper - Cu (cuprum), iron - Fe (ferrum), magnesium - Mg (magnium) and so on. The names of substances contain the reaction products of certain elements, and the formulas contain their symbolic series.

The product is safe and not very

There is much more chemistry around us than the average individual might imagine. Without doing science professionally, we still have to deal with it in our daily lives. Everything that stands on our table consists of chemical elements. Even the human body is made of dozens of chemicals.

The names of chemical substances that exist in nature can be divided into two groups: those used in everyday life or not. Complex and dangerous salts, acids, and ether compounds are highly specific and used exclusively in professional activities. They require caution and precision in their use, and in some cases special permission. Substances that are indispensable in everyday life are less harmless, but their improper use can lead to serious consequences. From this we can conclude that there is no such thing as harmless chemistry. Let's look at the main substances with which human life is connected.

Biopolymer as a building material of the body

The main fundamental component of the body is protein - a polymer consisting of amino acids and water. It is responsible for the formation of cells, hormonal and immune systems, muscle mass, bones, ligaments, and internal organs. The human body consists of more than one billion cells, and each one requires protein or, as it is also called, protein. Based on the above, give the names of substances that are more essential for a living organism. The basis of the body is the cell, the basis of the cell is protein. There is no other option. A lack of protein, as well as its excess, leads to disruption of all vital functions of the body.

The order of peptide bonds that create macromolecules is involved in the construction of proteins. Those, in turn, arise as a result of the interaction of substances COOH - carboxyl and NH 2 - amino groups. The most famous protein is collagen. It belongs to the class of fibrillar proteins. The very first one, the structure of which was established, is insulin. Even for a person far from chemistry, these names speak volumes. But not everyone knows that these substances are proteins.

Essential amino acids

A protein cell consists of amino acids - the name of substances that have a side chain in the structure of molecules. They are formed by: C - carbon, N - nitrogen, O - oxygen and H - hydrogen. Of the twenty standard amino acids, nine enter cells exclusively with food. The rest are synthesized by the body through the interaction of various compounds. With age or in the presence of diseases, the list of nine essential amino acids expands significantly and is replenished with conditionally essential ones.

In total, more than five hundred different amino acids are known. They are classified in many ways, one of which divides them into two groups: proteinogenic and non-proteinogenic. Some of them play an irreplaceable role in the functioning of the body, not related to the formation of protein. The names of organic substances in these groups, which are key: glutamate, glycine, carnitine. The latter serves as a transporter of lipids throughout the body.

Fats: both simple and complex

We are accustomed to calling all fat-like substances in the body lipids or fats. Their main physical property is insolubility in water. However, in interaction with other substances, such as benzene, alcohol, chloroform and others, these organic compounds break down quite easily. The main chemical difference between fats is similar properties, but different structures. In the life of a living organism, these substances are responsible for its energy. Thus, one gram of lipids can release about forty kJ.

The large number of substances included in fat molecules does not allow for their convenient and accessible classification. The main thing that unites them is their attitude to the hydrolysis process. In this regard, fats are saponifiable and unsaponifiable. The names of the substances that make up the first group are divided into simple and complex lipids. Simple waxes include some types of wax and choresterol esters. The second group includes sphingolipids, phospholipids and a number of other substances.

Carbohydrates as a third type of nutrient

The third type of basic nutrients of a living cell, along with proteins and fats, is carbohydrates. These are organic compounds consisting of H (hydrogen), O (oxygen) and C (carbon). and their functions are similar to those of fats. They are also sources of energy for the body, but unlike lipids, they mainly get there from food of plant origin. The exception is milk.

Carbohydrates are divided into polysaccharides, monosaccharides and oligosaccharides. Some do not dissolve in water, others do the opposite. The following are the names of insoluble substances. These include complex carbohydrates from the group of polysaccharides such as starch and cellulose. Their breakdown into simpler substances occurs under the influence of juices secreted by the digestive system.

The beneficial substances of the other two groups are contained in berries and fruits in the form of water-soluble sugars that are easily absorbed by the body. Oligosaccharides - lactose and sucrose, monosaccharides - fructose and glucose.

Glucose and fiber

Substances such as glucose and fiber are often used in everyday life. Both are carbohydrates. One is a monosaccharide found in the blood of any living organism and plant sap. The second is made from polysaccharides, responsible for the digestion process; in other functions, fiber is rarely used, but is also an essential substance. Their structure and synthesis are quite complex. But it is enough for a person to know the basic functions involved in the life of the body so as not to neglect their use.

Glucose provides cells with a substance such as grape sugar, which provides energy for their rhythmic, uninterrupted functioning. About 70 percent of glucose enters cells with food, the remaining thirty is produced by the body on its own. The human brain is in dire need of food-grade glucose, since this organ is not capable of independently synthesizing glucose. It is found in honey in the greatest quantity.

Ascorbic acid is not so simple

A source of vitamin C familiar to everyone since childhood is a complex chemical substance consisting of hydrogen and oxygen atoms. Their interaction with other elements can even lead to the creation of salts - it is enough to change just one atom in the compound. In this case, the name and class of the substance will change. Experiments conducted with ascorbic acid discovered its irreplaceable properties in the function of restoring human skin.

In addition, it strengthens the skin's immune system and helps resist the negative effects of the atmosphere. It has rejuvenating, whitening properties, prevents aging, and neutralizes free radicals. Contained in citrus fruits, bell peppers, medicinal herbs, strawberries. About one hundred milligrams of ascorbic acid - the optimal daily dose - can be obtained with rose hips, sea buckthorn, and kiwi.

Substances around us

We are convinced that our whole life is chemistry, since man himself consists entirely of its elements. Food, shoes and clothing, hygiene products are just a small part of where we meet the fruits of science in everyday life. We know the purpose of many elements and use them for our own benefit. In a rare home you will not find boric acid, or slaked lime, as we call it, or calcium hydroxide, as it is known to science. Copper sulfate - copper sulfate - is widely used by humans. The name of the substance comes from the name of its main component.

Sodium bicarbonate is a common soda in everyday life. This new acid is acetic acid. And so with any or animal origin. They all consist of compounds of chemical elements. Not everyone can explain their molecular structure; it is enough to know the name, purpose of the substance and use it correctly.

The periodic table adopted by us contains the Russian names of the elements. For the vast majority of elements, they are phonetically close to the Latin ones: argon - argon, barium - barium, cadmium - cadmium, etc. These elements are called similarly in most Western European languages. Some chemical elements have completely different names in different languages.

All this is not accidental. The greatest differences are in the names of those elements (or their most common compounds) with which people became acquainted in antiquity or at the beginning of the Middle Ages. These are the seven ancient metals (gold, silver, copper, lead, tin, iron, mercury, which were compared with the then known planets, as well as sulfur and carbon). They occur naturally in a free state, and many are given names based on their physical properties.

Here are the most likely origins of these names:

Gold

Since ancient times, the shine of gold has been compared with the shine of the sun (sol). Hence the Russian “gold”. The word gold in European languages ​​is associated with the Greek sun god Helios. The Latin aurum means “yellow” and is related to “Aurora” - morning dawn.

Silver

In Greek, silver is “argyros”, from “argos” - white, shining, sparkling (Indo-European root “arg” - to glow, to be light). Hence - argentum. Interestingly, the only country named after a chemical element (and not vice versa) is Argentina. The words silver, Silber, and also silver go back to the ancient Germanic silubr, the origin of which is unclear (perhaps the word came from Asia Minor, from the Assyrian sarrupum - white metal, silver).

Iron

The origin of this word is not known for certain; according to one version, it is related to the word “blade”. European iron, Eisen come from the Sanskrit “isira” - strong, strong. The Latin ferrum comes from fars, to be hard. The name of natural iron carbonate (siderite) comes from the Latin. sidereus - starry; Indeed, the first iron that fell into the hands of people was of meteorite origin. Perhaps this coincidence is not accidental.

Sulfur

The origin of the Latin sulfur is unknown. The Russian name of the element is usually derived from the Sanskrit “sira” - light yellow. It would be interesting to see if sulfur has a relationship with the Hebrew seraphim - the multiplier of seraph; literally "seraph" means "burning", and sulfur burns well. In Old Russian and Old Church Slavonic, sulfur is generally a flammable substance, including fat.

Lead

The origin of the word is unclear; at least nothing to do with a pig. The most amazing thing here is that in most Slavic languages ​​(Bulgarian, Serbo-Croatian, Czech, Polish) lead is called tin! Our “lead” is found only in the languages ​​of the Baltic group: svinas (Lithuanian), svin (Latvian).

The English name for lead lead and the Dutch name lood are possibly related to our “tin”, although again they tin not with poisonous lead, but with tin. The Latin plumbum (also of unclear origin) gave the English word plumber - plumber (once pipes were caulked with soft lead), and the name of the Venetian prison with a lead roof - Piombe. According to some sources, Casanova managed to escape from this prison. But ice cream has nothing to do with it: the ice cream comes from the name of the French resort town of Plombiere.

Tin

In Ancient Rome, tin was called “white lead” (plumbum album), in contrast to plumbum nigrum - black, or ordinary, lead. In Greek, white is alofos. Apparently, “tin” came from this word, which indicated the color of the metal. It entered the Russian language in the 11th century and meant both tin and lead (in ancient times these metals were poorly distinguished). The Latin stannum is related to the Sanskrit word meaning steadfast, durable. The origin of English (and Dutch and Danish) tin is unknown.

Mercury

The Latin hydrargirum comes from the Greek words “hudor” - water and “argyros” - silver. Mercury is also called “liquid” (or “live”, “fast”) silver in German (Quecksilber) and in Old English (quicksilver), and in Bulgarian mercury is zhivak: indeed, mercury balls shine like silver, and very quickly “running” - as if alive. The modern English (mercury) and French (mercure) names for mercury come from the name of the Latin god of trade, Mercury. Mercury was also the messenger of the gods and was usually depicted with wings on his sandals or on his helmet. So the god Mercury ran as fast as mercury flows. Mercury corresponded to the planet Mercury, which moves faster than others across the sky.

The Russian name for mercury, according to one version, is a borrowing from Arabic (via Turkic languages); according to another version, “mercury” is associated with the Lithuanian ritu - roll, roll, which comes from the Indo-European ret(x) - run, roll. Lithuania and Rus' were closely connected, and in the 2nd half of the 14th century, Russian was the language of office work of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, as well as the language of the first written monuments of Lithuania.

Carbon

The international name comes from the Latin carbo - coal, associated with the ancient root kar - fire. The same root in the Latin cremare means to burn, and perhaps also in the Russian “gar”, “heat”, “burn” (in the Old Russian “ugorati” - to burn, scorch). Hence the “coal”. Let us also remember here the burner game and the Ukrainian pot.

Copper

The word is of the same origin as the Polish miedz, the Czech med. These words have two sources - the Old German smida - metal (hence the German, English, Dutch, Swedish and Danish blacksmiths - Schmied, smith, smid, smed) and the Greek "metallon" - mine, mine. So copper and metal are relatives along two lines. The Latin cuprum (other European names came from it) is associated with the island of Cyprus, where already in the 3rd century BC. There were copper mines and copper smelting was carried out. The Romans called copper cyprium aes - metal from Cyprus. In Late Latin cyprium became cuprum. The names of many elements are associated with the place of extraction or with the mineral.

Cadmium

Discovered in 1818 by the German chemist and pharmacist Friedrich Strohmeyer in zinc carbonate, from which medicines were obtained at a pharmaceutical factory. Since ancient times, the Greek word “kadmeia” has been used to describe carbonate zinc ores. The name goes back to the mythical Cadmus (Cadmos) - the hero of Greek mythology, the brother of Europe, the king of the Cadmean land, the founder of Thebes, the winner of the dragon, from whose teeth warriors grew. Cadmus allegedly was the first to find the zinc mineral and discovered to people its ability to change the color of copper during the joint smelting of their ores (an alloy of copper and zinc - brass). The name Cadmus goes back to the Semitic “Ka-dem” - East.

Cobalt

In the 15th century in Saxony, among the rich silver ores, white or gray crystals, shining like steel, were discovered, from which it was not possible to smelt the metal; their admixture with silver or copper ore interfered with the smelting of these metals. The “bad” ore was given the name of the mountain spirit Kobold by the miners. Apparently, these were arsenic-containing cobalt minerals - cobaltine CoAsS, or cobalt sulfides skutterudite, saflorite or smaltine. When they are fired, volatile, toxic arsenic oxide is released. Probably, the name of the evil spirit goes back to the Greek “kobalos” - smoke; it is formed during the roasting of ores containing arsenic sulfides. The Greeks used the same word to describe lying people. In 1735, the Swedish mineralogist Georg Brand managed to isolate a previously unknown metal from this mineral, which he named cobalt. He also found out that compounds of this particular element color glass blue - this property was used in ancient Assyria and Babylon.

Nickel

The origin of the name is similar to cobalt. Medieval miners called the evil mountain spirit Nickel, and “kupfernickel” (copper devil) - fake copper. This ore was similar in appearance to copper and was used in glass making to color glass green. But no one managed to get copper from it - it wasn’t there. This ore - copper-red crystals of nickel (red nickel pyrite NiAs) was studied by the Swedish mineralogist Axel Kronstedt in 1751 and isolated a new metal from it, calling it nickel.

Niobium and tantalum

In 1801, the English chemist Charles Hatchet analyzed a black mineral stored in the British Museum and found back in 1635 in the territory of modern Massachusetts in the USA. Hatchet discovered an oxide of an unknown element in the mineral, which was named Columbia - in honor of the country where it was found (at that time the United States did not yet have an established name, and many called it Columbia after the discoverer of the continent). The mineral was called columbite. In 1802, the Swedish chemist Anders Ekeberg isolated another oxide from columbite, which stubbornly refused to dissolve (as they said then, become saturated) in any acid. The “legislator” in chemistry of those times, the Swedish chemist Jene Jakob Berzelius, proposed calling the metal contained in this oxide tantalum. Tantalus is a hero of ancient Greek myths; as punishment for his illegal actions, he stood up to his neck in water, towards which branches with fruits were leaning, but could neither get drunk nor get enough. Similarly, tantalum could not “get enough” of acid - it retreated from it, like water from Tantalum. The properties of this element were so similar to columbium that for a long time there was debate about whether columbium and tantalum were the same or different elements. It was not until 1845 that the German chemist Heinrich Rose resolved the dispute by analyzing several minerals, including columbite from Bavaria. He found that in fact there are two elements with similar properties. Hatchet's columbium turned out to be a mixture of them, and the formula of columbite (more precisely, manganocolumbite) is (Fe,Mn)(Nb,Ta)2O6. Rose named the second element niobium, after Tantalus' daughter Niobe. However, the symbol Cb remained in the American tables of chemical elements until the middle of the 20th century: there it stood in place of niobium. And the name of Hatchet is immortalized in the name of the mineral Hatchite.

Promethium

It was “discovered” many times in various minerals in searches for the missing rare earth element, which was supposed to occupy a place between neodymium and samarium. But all these discoveries turned out to be false. For the first time, the missing link in the lanthanide chain was discovered in 1947 by American researchers J. Marinsky, L. Glendenin and C. Coryell, by chromatographically separating the fission products of uranium in a nuclear reactor. Coryell's wife suggested calling the discovered element promethium, after Prometheus, who stole fire from the gods and gave it to people. This emphasized the formidable power contained in nuclear “fire.” The researcher's wife was right.

Thorium

In 1828 Y.Ya. Berzelius discovered in a rare mineral sent to him from Norway a compound of a new element, which he named thorium - in honor of the Old Norse god Thor. True, Berzelius came up with this name back in 1815, when he mistakenly “discovered” thorium in another mineral from Sweden. This was the rare case when the researcher himself “closed” the element he allegedly discovered (in 1825, when it turned out that Berzelius had previously had yttrium phosphate). The new mineral was called thorite; it was thorium silicate ThSiO4. Thorium is radioactive; its half-life is 14 billion years, the final decay product is lead. The amount of lead in a thorium mineral can be used to determine its age. Thus, the age of one of the minerals found in the state of Virginia turned out to be 1.08 billion years.

Titanium

It is believed that this element was discovered by the German chemist Martin Klaproth. In 1795, he discovered an oxide of an unknown metal in the mineral rutile, which he called titanium. Titans are giants in ancient Greek mythology with whom the Olympian gods fought. Two years later, it turned out that the element “menakin”, which was discovered in 1791 by the English chemist William Gregor in the mineral ilmenite (FeTiO3), is identical to Klaproth’s titanium.

Vanadium

Discovered in 1830 by Swedish chemist Nils Sefström in blast furnace slag. Named after the Old Norse goddess of beauty Vanadis, or Vana-Dis. In this case, it also turned out that vanadium had been discovered before, and even more than once - by the Mexican mineralogist Andree Manuel del Rio in 1801 and by the German chemist Friedrich Wöhler shortly before Sefström's discovery. But del Rio himself abandoned his discovery, deciding that he was dealing with chromium, and Wöhler’s illness prevented him from completing the work.

Uranium, neptunium, plutonium

In 1781, the English astronomer William Herschel discovered a new planet, which was named Uranus - after the ancient Greek god of the sky Uranus, the grandfather of Zeus. In 1789, M. Klaproth isolated a black heavy substance from the resin blende mineral, which he mistook for a metal and, according to the tradition of alchemists, “tied” its name to the recently discovered planet. And he renamed the resin blende into uranium tar (this is what the Curies worked with). Only 52 years later it became clear that Klaproth received not uranium itself, but its oxide UO2.

In 1846, astronomers discovered a new planet predicted shortly before by the French astronomer Le Verrier. She was named Neptune - after the ancient Greek god of the underwater kingdom. When, in 1850, what was believed to be a new metal was discovered in a mineral brought to Europe from the United States, it was suggested by astronomers that it should be called neptunium. However, it soon became clear that it was niobium that had already been discovered earlier. “Neptunium” was forgotten for almost a century, until a new element was discovered in the products of uranium irradiation with neutrons. And just as in the solar system Uranus is followed by Neptune, so in the table of elements Neptunium (No. 93) appeared after uranium (No. 92).

In 1930, the ninth planet of the solar system was discovered, predicted by the American astronomer Lovell. She was named Pluto - after the ancient Greek god of the underworld. Therefore, it was logical to name the next element after neptunium plutonium; it was obtained in 1940 by bombarding uranium with deuterium nuclei.

Helium

It is usually written that it was discovered by the spectral method of Jansen and Lockyer, observing a total solar eclipse in 1868. In fact, everything was not so simple. A few minutes after the end of the solar eclipse, which the French physicist Pierre Jules Jansen observed on August 18, 1868 in India, he was able to see the spectrum of solar prominences for the first time. Similar observations were made by the English astronomer Joseph Norman Lockyer on October 20 of the same year in London, especially emphasizing that his method makes it possible to study the solar atmosphere during non-eclipse times. New research into the solar atmosphere made a great impression: in honor of this event, the Paris Academy of Sciences issued a resolution to mint a gold medal with the profiles of scientists. At the same time, there was no talk of any new element.

Italian astronomer Angelo Secchi on November 13 of the same year drew attention to a “remarkable line” in the solar spectrum near the famous yellow sodium D-line. He suggested that this line was emitted by hydrogen under extreme conditions. It was only in January 1871 that Lockyer suggested that this line might belong to a new element. The word “helium” was first used in a speech by the President of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, William Thomson, in July of the same year. The name was given by the name of the ancient Greek sun god Helios. In 1895, the English chemist William Ramsay collected an unknown gas isolated from the uranium mineral kleveite when it was treated with acid and, with the help of Lockyer, studied it using the spectral method. As a result, the “solar” element was discovered on Earth.

Zinc

The word “zinc” was introduced into the Russian language by M.V. Lomonosov - from the German Zink. It probably comes from the ancient German tinka - white; indeed, the most common zinc preparation - ZnO oxide (the “philosophical wool” of alchemists) is white.

Phosphorus

When the Hamburg alchemist Henning Brand discovered the white modification of phosphorus in 1669, he was amazed by its glow in the dark (in fact, it is not phosphorus that glows, but its vapors when oxidized by atmospheric oxygen). The new substance received a name that, translated from Greek, means “carrying light.” So "traffic light" is linguistically the same as "Lucifer". By the way, the Greeks called the morning Venus Phosphoros, which foreshadowed the sunrise.

Arsenic

The Russian name is most likely associated with the poison used to poison mice; among other things, the color of gray arsenic resembles a mouse. The Latin arsenicum goes back to the Greek “arsenikos” - masculine, probably due to the strong effect of the compounds of this element. Thanks to fiction, everyone knows what they were used for.

Antimony

In chemistry, this element has three names. The Russian word “antimony” comes from the Turkish “surme” - rubbing or blackening eyebrows in ancient times, the paint for this was finely ground black antimony sulfide Sb2S3 (“You fast, don’t tar your eyebrows.” - M. Tsvetaeva). The Latin name of the element (stibium) comes from the Greek “stibi” - a cosmetic product for eyeliner and the treatment of eye diseases. Salts of antimony acid are called antimonites, the name is possibly associated with the Greek “antemon” - a flower - an intergrowth of needle-shaped crystals of antimony luster Sb2S2 similar to flowers.

Bismuth

This is probably a distorted German “weisse masse” - white mass, white nuggets of bismuth with a reddish tint were known from ancient times. By the way, in Western European languages ​​(except German), the name of the element begins with “b” (bismuth). Replacing the Latin “b” with the Russian “v” is a common phenomenon Abel - Abel, Basil - Basil, basilisk - basilisk, Barbara - Barbara, barbarism - barbarism, Benjamin - Benjamin, Bartholomew - Bartholomew, Babylon - Babylon, Byzantium - Byzantium, Lebanon - Lebanon, Libya - Libya, Baal - Baal, alphabet - alphabet... Perhaps the translators believed that the Greek “beta” is the Russian “v”.