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n– 1803
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Mostnthings in nature are a big mash-up of all sorts of materials, and itntook chemists and physicists years to figure out what it is, exactly,nthat makes up our world (and the universe).
Mostnthings in nature are a big mash-up of all sorts of materials, and itntook chemists and physicists years to figure out what it is, exactly,nthat makes up our world (and the universe).n
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Englishnchemist and physicist John Dalton was a big part of figuring it allnout. On this date in 1803 he wrote some notes on “ultimatenparticles” (also known as “atoms,” which aren’t all thatnultimate, after all, since we now know that atoms are made up ofnsmaller particles). Dalton proposed the idea that there are fundamental kinds of stuff, called elements, and that each element is made up of atoms of different masses. Atoms of gold, for example, would be much heavier than atoms of hydrogen. As Dalton wrote about a variety of elements, henused symbols to represent each element.
Englishnchemist and physicist John Dalton was a big part of figuring it allnout. On this date in 1803 he wrote some notes on “ultimatenparticles” (also known as “atoms,” which aren’t all thatnultimate, after all, since we now know that atoms are made up ofnsmaller particles). Dalton proposed the idea that there are fundamental kinds of stuff, called elements, and that each element is made up of atoms of different masses. Atoms of gold, for example, would be much heavier than atoms of hydrogen. As Dalton wrote about a variety of elements, henused symbols to represent each element.n
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nAndnthat’s the first time that anyone used a symbol to represent annelement!
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Wendon’t use Dalton’s symbols anymore, but many of his symbols wereninitial letters surrounded by circles, such as S for silver, C forncopper, and Z for zinc. We do use this general idea: nowadays, one orntwo letters (without the circle) is the symbol for each element. n
Wendon’t use Dalton’s symbols anymore, but many of his symbols wereninitial letters surrounded by circles, such as S for silver, C forncopper, and Z for zinc. We do use this general idea: nowadays, one orntwo letters (without the circle) is the symbol for each element. nn
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nOurnmodern symbology was created by Swiss scientist Jons Kakob Berzelius,nand naturally he did not use English as the basis for his symbols, asnDalton did. Instead, he used the shared language of science of hisntime, Latin, as the basis for his symbols. Because of this Latinnorigin, some of our modern elemental symbols don’t match up with thenEnglish names:
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n Ironn= Fe (ferrum)
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n Silvern= Ag (argentum)
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n Goldn= Au (aurum)
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nLead = Pb (plumbum)
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nPotassium = K (kalium)
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nCopper = Cu (cuprum)
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nAntimony = Sb (stibium)
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nMercury = Hg (hydrargyrum)
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nTungsten = W (wolfram)
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nTin = Sn (stannum)
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nSodium = Na (natrium)
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nBynthe way…
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n Todaynthe shared language of science is English.
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nAlsonon this date:
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nLabor Day
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nAnniversary of the founding of San Marino
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nAnniversary of Sweden switching sides
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