Year 8 Science · Unit 2 · Lesson 02

Elements and Chemical Symbols

Foundation Worksheet

Name

Date

Class

Learning Goals

Know that every element has a unique one- or two-letter chemical symbol.
Recognise that the first letter of a symbol is always a capital letter.
Match common element names to their correct symbols, including Latin-origin symbols.

Warm Up

Match each element to its chemical symbol

Draw a line connecting each element name on the left to its correct chemical symbol on the right. Or write the matching letter next to each element name.

Element name	Your answer	Chemical symbol
Iron		A. He
Sodium		B. C
Gold		C. Na
Oxygen		D. Fe
Helium		E. Au
Carbon		F. O

Your Turn

Sort it!

Write each symbol from the pool into the correct category box below.

Fe H Ca Au Na O Cu He N Mg

Symbol comes from a Latin name

Symbol matches the English name

Show What You Know

1. Write the rule for how chemical symbols are written. Use the words capital and lowercase in your answer.

Recall 2 marks

2. The symbol for iron is Fe, not Ir. Where does the symbol Fe come from, and why do scientists use symbols that don't match the English name?

Recall 2 marks

Wrap Up

In one sentence, what was the main idea of this lesson?