20 Examples of Elements and Their Symbols

Chemical elements are the basic building blocks of matter. Elements are referred to by their names and  their symbols, which  make it easier to write chemical structures and equations. Examples The first 20 elements of the periodic table are listed below. These elements include some of the most abundant in the universe (hydrogen, oxygen, carbon) as well as some of the most unusual (phosphorus, boron). H - HydrogenHe - HeliumLi - LithiumBe - BerylliumB - BoronC - CarbonN - NitrogenO - OxygenF - FluorineNe - NeonNa - SodiumMg - MagnesiumAl - AluminumSi - SiliconP - PhosphorusS - SulfurCl - ChlorineAr - ArgonK - PotassiumCa - Calcium Notice that the symbols are one- and two-letter abbreviations for their names, with a few exceptions where symbols are based on old names. For example, potassium is K for kalium, not P, which is already the element symbol for phosphorus.