There are 118 elements in the periodic table, each with a unique symbol and atomic number. Symbol: A one or two-letter abbreviation used to represent the element. Atomic number: The number of ...

Sometimes it is easy to tell which element a symbol stands for. For example, C stands for carbon and Li stands for lithium. But sometimes the symbol comes from a name for the element that is not ...

Dr. Tim: So this is the periodic table and each letter on it represents a different element. We call these letters symbols. And an element is a pure substance made from only one type of atom.