• Question: How do scientists come up with names for all their chemicals and elements?

    Asked by agatha window to Angela, Claire, Ian, Robert, Sarah on 19 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: Ian Cade

      Ian Cade answered on 19 Nov 2014:

      Some are named after the places where they were discovered Yttrium (Y) for example was named after the town of Ytterby (as were erbium (Er), terbium (Tb), and ytterbium (Yb)).

      Others after famous scientists for example Bohrium (Bh) after Niels Bohr

      Others have quite descriptive names:

      Oxygen means acid forming
      Hydrogen – water forming
      Chlorine – named after its green/yellow colour

      I think my favourite element (name-wise) is Cobalt from the German Kobold meaning goblin/evil spirit… in that the ores containing cobalt weren’t very useful and gave off poisonous arsenic fumes on smelting.

    • Photo: Angela Stokes

      Angela Stokes answered on 19 Nov 2014:

      Hi agatha

      In addition to Ians answer, since 1947, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) has had the responsibility for approving elements’ names, and deciding the single internationally recognised symbol for each element.

    • Photo: Sarah Harris

      Sarah Harris answered on 21 Nov 2014:

      It’s up to them! So long as it’s approved by the IUPAC who recommend it ends in “-ium” to fit in. Bless.

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