What is a chemical symbol?

• A. A one-letter code used to represent an element.
• B. A full name of an element.
• C. A one- or two-letter notation used to represent an element.
• D. A number identifying the element's atomic mass.

Answer: (C)

A chemical symbol is the short notation used to represent an element in formulas and on the periodic table. It’s usually one or two letters, with the first letter capitalized and the second (if present) lowercase. For example, H stands for hydrogen, He for helium, Na for natrium, and Fe for ferrum. This shorthand is not the element’s full name, and it isn’t a numeric value like atomic mass. In practice, chemical symbols are used to write and balance equations quickly and clearly. Because symbols can be one or two letters, describing them as a one- or two-letter notation used to represent an element captures all common cases, making it the best choice.