Things You'll Need
Instructions
Write the names of two elements you want to learn. For example, write "hydrogen" and "iron."
Refer to a hard-copy or Internet periodic table of the elements and find the name of the first element you have written. For example, if you refer to the Widener University website for the periodic table of the elements, you will find "hydrogen" in the first row of the first column of the table.
Identify the uppercase letter or uppercase-lowercase letter combination above or below the name of the element you have found. For example, you identify a capital H above the word "Hydrogen".
Write a capital H on your piece of paper. You have written the symbol for the element hydrogen.
Refer to a hard-copy or Internet periodic table of the elements again and find the name of the second element you have written. For example, you refer to the Widener University website and find "Iron" in the first row of the eighth column of the table.
Identify the uppercase letter or uppercase-lowercase letter combination above or below the name of the element you have found. For example, you identify an uppercase F and a lowercase e above the word "Iron".
Write a capital letter F followed by a lowercase letter e on your piece of paper. You have written the symbol for the element iron. (From the Latin word ferrum, for iron.)