Elements 1 to 30
| Atomic number | Symbol | Name | Common use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | H | Hydrogen | Rocket fuel; used to make ammonia for fertilisers |
| 2 | He | Helium | Filling party balloons and airships |
| 3 | Li | Lithium | Rechargeable batteries in phones and laptops |
| 4 | Be | Beryllium | Light, strong alloys for aircraft and satellites |
| 5 | B | Boron | Heat-resistant glass; borax for cleaning |
| 6 | C | Carbon | Pencil lead (graphite), diamonds, fuels |
| 7 | N | Nitrogen | Fertilisers; keeping food fresh in packets |
| 8 | O | Oxygen | Breathing; burning fuels |
| 9 | F | Fluorine | Fluoride in toothpaste |
| 10 | Ne | Neon | Glowing advertising signs |
| 11 | Na | Sodium | Common salt (sodium chloride); street lamps |
| 12 | Mg | Magnesium | Antacid medicine; bright flashes in fireworks |
| 13 | Al | Aluminium | Foil, utensils, aircraft parts |
| 14 | Si | Silicon | Computer chips and solar cells |
| 15 | P | Phosphorus | Matchsticks; fertilisers |
| 16 | S | Sulphur | Making sulphuric acid; hardening rubber |
| 17 | Cl | Chlorine | Making drinking water and swimming pools safe |
| 18 | Ar | Argon | Filling electric bulbs |
| 19 | K | Potassium | Fertilisers; needed by nerves and muscles |
| 20 | Ca | Calcium | Strong bones and teeth; cement and chalk |
| 21 | Sc | Scandium | Light alloys for sports equipment |
| 22 | Ti | Titanium | Aircraft parts and joint replacements |
| 23 | V | Vanadium | Hard steel for tools and springs |
| 24 | Cr | Chromium | Stainless steel and shiny chrome plating |
| 25 | Mn | Manganese | Making steel; dry cells |
| 26 | Fe | Iron | Steel for buildings, bridges and vehicles |
| 27 | Co | Cobalt | Strong magnets; blue colour in glass |
| 28 | Ni | Nickel | Coins and plating |
| 29 | Cu | Copper | Electric wires and cooking vessels |
| 30 | Zn | Zinc | Galvanising iron to stop rust; dry cells |
The atomic number is the number of protons in the atom. Symbols come from the English or the old Latin name, for example Na from natrium (sodium), K from kalium (potassium) and Fe from ferrum (iron).
Groups in this list
- Noble gases: helium, neon and argon. They hardly react with other elements.
- Metals: lithium, beryllium, sodium, magnesium, aluminium, potassium, calcium, and scandium to zinc.
- Non-metals: hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, fluorine, phosphorus, sulphur and chlorine, along with the noble gases.
- Metalloids: boron and silicon, which have some properties of metals and some of non-metals.