:''See also chemical formula.''

A chemical symbol is an abbreviation or short representation of the name of a chemical element, generally assigned in relation to its Latin name. Natural elements all have symbols of one or two letters; some man-made elements have temporary symbols of three letters.

Chemical s ymbols are listed in the periodic table and are used as shorthand and in chemical equations, e.g.,
: 2H₂ + O₂ → 2H₂O
Because chemical symbols are often derived from the Latin or Greek name of the element, they may not bear much similarity to the common English name, e.g., Na for sodium (Latin ''natrium'') and Au for gold (Latin ''aurum'').

In China, each chemical element is assigned an ideograph as its symbol; most of them have been explicitly created for this purpose (see Chinese characters for chemical elements).

Chemical symbols may also be changed to show if one particular isotope of an atom that is specified, as well as to show other attributes such as ionization and oxidation state of a chemical compound.

Examples of families

Alkali Metals

Alkaline Earth Metals

Transition Metals

Halogen Gases

Inert Gases (Noble Gases)

Examples of physical properties

Density

Boiling Point

Melting Point

Conductivity

Heat Capacity

Examples of chemical properties: