Greek Chemical Elements Flashcards
HYDR/O (hī‐ drō)
Current: Water, liquid, hydrogen
Ety: Gr. hydros, water
Symbol/ Rationale:
H
Hydrogen Named “water creator” because it forms water.
HELI/O (hē‐lē‐ ō)
Current: Sun, helium
Ety: Gr. helios, sun
Symbol/ Rationale:
He
Helium It was discovered in the spectrum of the sun.
LITH/O (lĭth‐ ō)
Current: Stone, lithium
Ety: Gr. lithos, stone
Symbol: Li
Rationale: Lithium It was discovered in minerals.
NITR/O (nī‐trō)
Current: Nitrogenous
Ety: Gr. nitron, sodium bicarbonate; niter
Symbol: N
Rationale: Nitrogen Named “niter creator” because this gas was found through the analysis of niter.
OX/O
Current: Oxygen
Ety: Gr. oxys, acid, sharp, keen
Symbol: O
Rationale: Oxygen Named “Acid creator” because it was thought to be the element which formed acids.
NEON/O (nē‐ on‐ ō)
NE/O (nē‐ ō)
Current: Neon, New, recent
Ety: Gr. neos, new, recent, young
Symbol: Ne
Rationale: Neon New discovery found in air residues.
PHOSPH/O (fŏs‐fō‐rō)
Current: Phosphorus
Ety: *Gr. phosophoros, light bringer, morning star
Symbol: P
Rationale: Phosphorus Named “light bearer” because phosphorus emits light.
CHLOR/O (klō‐rō)
Current: Green, Chlorine
Ety: Gr. chloros, green
Symbol: Cl
Rationale: Chlorine Named after the color of the gas.
CHROMI/O (krō‐mē‐ ō)
CHROM/O (krō‐mō)
CHROMAT/O (krō‐mă‐tō)
Current: Chromium
Color
Ety: Gr. chroma, chromatos, color
Symbol: Cr Chromium
Rationale: Chromium compounds have different colors.
SELENI/O sĕ‐lĕ‐nē‐ ō)
SELEN/O (sĕ‐lē‐nō)
Current: Selenium
Moon, crescent‐ shaped
Ety: Gr. selene, moon
Symbol: Se
Rationale: Selenium Named “moon” because it was confused with tellurium, which meant “earth.”
BROM/O (brō‐mō)
Current: Foul‐ smelling, bromine
Ety: Gr. bromos, foul‐ smelling
Symbol: Br
Rationale: Bromine Named because the element has a foul smell.
CRYPT/O (krip‐tō)
KRYPT/O (krip‐tō)
Current: Hidden, covered, krypton
Ety: Gr. kryptos, covered, hidden
Symbol: Kr
Rationale: Krypton Named for the difficulty in discovering it.
RHOD/O (rō‐ dō)
Current: Rose, red, rhodium
Ety: Gr. rhodon, rose, rose‐ colored
Symbol: Rh
Rationale: Rhodium Named for the color of solutions containing it.
XEN/O (zen‐ ō)
Current: Foreign, strange, xenon
Ety: Gr. xenon, foreign, strange
Symbol: Xe
Rationale: Xenon Last of a series of gases to be discovered.
BAR/O (bar‐ ō)
BARY/O (bar‐ĭ‐ ō)
Current: Weight, pressure
Heavy, dull
Ety: Gr. baros, weight, pressure
Gr. barys, heavy
Symbol: Ba
Rationale: Barium Named such because it was present in the mineral barytes “heavy spar”.
OSM/O (oz‐mō)
Current: Odor, smell, osmium
Et: Gr. osme, smell, scent odor
Symbol: Os
Rationale: Osmium Named for the strong smell of its oxide.
THALL/O (thăl‐lō)
Currnet: Young branch, shoot, simple plants (i.e. fungi, lichens, algae) thallium
Ety: Gr. thallos, young shoot or branch
Symbol: Tl
Rationale: Thallium Named for the green line visible in its spectrum.
AKTIN/O (ak‐ti‐nō)
bACTIN/O (ak‐ti‐nō)
Current: Ray, ray‐like, radiation, actinium
Ety: Gr. aktinos, ray
Symbol: Ac, Actinium
Rationale: Actinium is radioactive.
