Elemental Symbols
Prefixes
SI units
Potpourri
Polyatomic ions
100
Here's the most abundant element in the entire universe.
What is H?
100
One thousandth of anything generally has this prefix. Funnily enough, these bugs don't actually have 1000 feet.
What is milli?
100
This is the SI unit for temperature. it's getting hot in here!
What is Kelvin?
100
Oh? Oh. Oh! Mexico's Mario Molina picked up a 1995 Chemistry Nobel for his role in discovering that CFCs are a threat to this UV-absorbing portion of Earth's stratosphere.
What is ozone?
100
PO43- . This is the P in ATP, a molecular source of fuel in the human body.
What is phosphate?
200
Pay your respects to the element with the highest Pauling number.
What is F?
200
Just like the lotto, a million of anything can be described with this prefix. x 106
What is mega?
200
Here's the SI unit for time. Tick, tock, tick, tock
What is a second?
200
Five people have won two Nobel Prizes, but Linus Pauling is the only one to have won two that were not shared with anyone else. He won the first for Chemistry, and his second for this.
What is Peace?
200
NO3-
what is nitrate?
300
Nowadays, it's a common addition to disinfect swimming pools. In WWI, it was used in the trenches as a chemical weapon.
What is Cl?
300
Pennies on the dollar, one hundredth of anything is preceded by this prefix. x 10-3
What is centi?
300
The SI unit for "amount" or "how many". It's like a dozen, but a lot more.
What is the mole?
300
This was the first synthetic element created in the laboratory.
What is technetium?
300
SO42-
What is sulfate?
400
Old thermometers have a lot of them. Just ask our friend Freddie!
What is Hg?
400
Wavelengths of light are measured in this magnitude. The visible spectrum spans from 380 to 750 of these. x 10-9
What is nano?
400
A mile is equal to 1,609 of these SI units for distance.
What is a meter?
400
This is the only letter not used on the Periodic Table of the elements.
What is J?
400
NH4+ . its conjugate base is a neurotoxin at high concentrations, but is thankfully sequestered and secreted via urea
What is ammonium?
500
This element touts the highest melting point of all metals. It's also the namesake element in a math software program.
What is W?
500
Generally speaking this prefix is used to talk about really small things. Say, x 10-6
What is micro?
500
Contained within a double glass cloche, environmentally controlled conditions, this platinum-iridium alloy defines this SI unit.
What is the kilogram?
500
A joint experiment between Dubna and Oak Ridge scientists produced what 117-proton element named for what U.S. state?
What is tennesine?
500
HCO3- . Don't let the name fool you, there's only one of them here!
What is bicarbonate or hydrogen carbonate?