Nickel was named after the German word kupfernickel (or kopparnickel) meaning “copper colored,” which is descriptive of the ore, niccolite (or nickeline), from which nickel is obtained. For example, aluminum is found in alum (a compound of aluminum potassium and sulfate) and was named after that compound. Other elements were named after the compound or ore from which they were isolated. Iodine is named from the Greek word iodes, which means “violet,” because of the purple color of the gaseous form of iodine. The Greek phosphoros, from which the name phosphorous is derived, means “lightning bringer,” representing its reactivity. For example, some types of phosphorous burn when exposed to air. Some elements have descriptive names based on an attribute of the element. Elements have been named after a number of things including their attributes, the compound or ore from which they were isolated, how they were discovered or obtained, mythological figures, places, and famous people. Profusion of naming conventionsīecause discovering an element can be a difficult task, individuals or groups that discover an element typically get the privilege of naming it. These elements may have been named in languages that predate the Roman Empire, but the names were documented during the Roman Empire, and as such the names are used today. These elements were found naturally and were fairly easy for people in ancient times to extract and use they include elements such as lead (plubium, Pb), iron (ferrum, Fe), copper (cuprum, Cu), tin (stannum, Sn), silver (argentum, Ag), and gold (aurum, Au). Some of the names of elements we know today come from the Latin word for the element and are not named after anything else. Did you ever wonder how these elements get their names? Some of these elements are common and very familiar, and others are so rare that they exist for just part of a second before they decay. Over 100 named elements are listed on the periodic table.
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