Research several elements whose symbols are inconsistent with their English names. Some examples include silver, Ag; gold, Au; and mercury, Hg. Compare the origin of these names with the origin of the symbols.
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The symbol Ag comes from the Latin name for silver, Argentum. Show more…
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The symbols for most elements are based on the first few letters of the respective element’s common English name. In some cases, however, the symbol seems to have nothing to do with the element’s common name. Give three examples of elements whose symbols are not directly derived from the element’s common English name.
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