Search the elements

H Hydrogen Nonmetal · Z 1 · 1.008 u The simplest atom there is — one proton, one electron — and about 90% of every atom in the universe. He Helium Noble gas · Z 2 · 4.003 u Inert, weightless and permanently escaping: helium is the only element that will not freeze at ordinary pressure, no matter how cold you make it. Li Lithium Alkali metal · Z 3 · 6.94 u The lightest metal, soft enough to cut with a knife and reactive enough to be stored under oil — the element that powers almost every rechargeable device you own. Be Beryllium Alkaline earth metal · Z 4 · 9.012 u A stiff, feather-light metal that is transparent to X-rays and lethally toxic as dust. B Boron Metalloid · Z 5 · 10.81 u A metalloid of extremes: harder than most metals, essential to plants, and the element that makes borosilicate glass survive a flame. C Carbon Nonmetal · Z 6 · 12.011 u The backbone of every known living thing, and the most versatile bonder in the periodic table. N Nitrogen Nonmetal · Z 7 · 14.007 u 78% of the air you are breathing right now, held together by one of the strongest bonds in chemistry. O Oxygen Nonmetal · Z 8 · 15.999 u The element that rusts iron, burns fuel and keeps you alive — and the most abundant element in the Earth's crust. F Fluorine Halogen · Z 9 · 18.998 u The most electronegative element known: fluorine takes electrons from almost anything, including glass and water. Ne Neon Noble gas · Z 10 · 20.18 u Chemically inert, optically unforgettable: neon is the orange-red glow that defined the twentieth-century city at night. Na Sodium Alkali metal · Z 11 · 22.99 u Soft, silver and violently eager: sodium reacts with water fast enough to ignite the hydrogen it releases. Mg Magnesium Alkaline earth metal · Z 12 · 24.305 u The metal at the centre of chlorophyll — and the one that burns with a light bright enough to blind a camera. Al Aluminum Post-transition metal · Z 13 · 26.982 u Once more precious than gold, now the most-used metal after iron — because someone worked out how to electrolyse it cheaply. Si Silicon Metalloid · Z 14 · 28.085 u The element that turned sand into civilisation's substrate: every processor you have ever used is a slab of ultrapure silicon. P Phosphorus Nonmetal · Z 15 · 30.974 u Discovered by boiling down urine in search of gold, phosphorus glows in the dark and is written into every strand of your DNA. S Sulfur Nonmetal · Z 16 · 32.06 u Yellow, brittle, and responsible for the smell of struck matches, rotten eggs and volcanic vents. Cl Chlorine Halogen · Z 17 · 35.45 u A pale green gas that kills bacteria, bleaches fabric — and, bound to sodium, sits on your dinner table. Ar Argon Noble gas · Z 18 · 39.948 u The third most common gas in the air, and completely uninterested in reacting with any of it. K Potassium Alkali metal · Z 19 · 39.098 u A metal so reactive it must be kept away from air, and so essential that no cell in your body works without it. Ca Calcium Alkaline earth metal · Z 20 · 40.078 u Structural element of bone, shell and cement: calcium is how life learned to build hard things. Sc Scandium Transition metal · Z 21 · 44.956 u A rare-earth-adjacent metal that makes aluminium alloys far stronger, at a price that keeps it exotic. Ti Titanium Transition metal · Z 22 · 47.867 u As strong as steel, 45% lighter, and immune to seawater — the metal of implants, jets and deep submersibles. V Vanadium Transition metal · Z 23 · 50.942 u A transition metal that turns four different colours in solution depending on its oxidation state. Cr Chromium Transition metal · Z 24 · 51.996 u The element that puts the shine in chrome and the "stainless" in stainless steel. Mn Manganese Transition metal · Z 25 · 54.938 u Essential in trace amounts, brittle in bulk, and the reason your steel does not shatter in the cold. Fe Iron Transition metal · Z 26 · 55.845 u The most common element on Earth by mass, the endpoint of stellar fusion, and the metal that named an age. Co Cobalt Transition metal · Z 27 · 58.933 u The blue in medieval stained glass and Ming porcelain, and half of the magnets that hold hard drives together. Ni Nickel Transition metal · Z 28 · 58.693 u Tough, corrosion-resistant and magnetic — and the second-biggest ingredient in stainless steel. Cu Copper Transition metal · Z 29 · 63.546 u The first metal humans smelted, and still the nervous system of the electrified world. Zn Zinc Transition metal · Z 30 · 65.38 u The sacrificial metal: zinc corrodes so that the steel it coats does not. Ga Gallium Post-transition metal · Z 31 · 69.723 u A metal that melts in your hand at 29.8 degrees C and is the foundation of blue LEDs and 5G radios. Ge Germanium Metalloid · Z 32 · 72.64 u The semiconductor that came first: the very first transistor was made of germanium, not silicon. As Arsenic Metalloid · Z 33 · 74.922 u The classic poison of history — tasteless, undetectable for centuries, and still a groundwater crisis for millions. Se Selenium Nonmetal · Z 34 · 78.96 u The element your eyes need to work and photocopiers needed to exist. Br Bromine Halogen · Z 35 · 79.904 u One of only two elements that are liquid at room temperature, and the one that smells like a swimming pool from hell. Kr Krypton Noble gas · Z 36 · 83.798 u Named "hidden", used to define the metre, and briefly the fictional weakness of a superhero. Rb Rubidium Alkali metal · Z 37 · 85.468 u A soft alkali metal whose spectral line is deep red, and whose ions run some of the world's most precise clocks. Sr Strontium Alkaline earth metal · Z 38 · 87.62 u The element that paints fireworks crimson and, as strontium-90, once fell out of the sky after weapons tests. Y Yttrium Transition metal · Z 39 · 88.906 u A "rare earth" that is not actually rare, and the reason your phone screen glows the right colours. Zr Zirconium Transition metal · Z 40 · 91.224 u Effectively transparent to neutrons, which is why it lines the fuel rods in nearly every nuclear reactor. Nb Niobium Transition metal · Z 41 · 92.906 u A superconducting metal that carries the current in every MRI magnet on Earth. Mo Molybdenum Transition metal · Z 42 · 95.95 u The refractory workhorse: molybdenum keeps its strength at temperatures that soften almost everything else. Tc Technetium Transition metal · Z 43 · 98 u The first element made by humans rather than found — and the lightest with no stable isotope at all. Ru Ruthenium Transition metal · Z 44 · 101.07 u A platinum-group metal that hardens its neighbours and catalyses ammonia synthesis. Rh Rhodium Transition metal · Z 45 · 102.906 u The most expensive precious metal on Earth by weight, and the reason your car's exhaust is not toxic. Pd Palladium Transition metal · Z 46 · 106.42 u The metal that soaks up hydrogen like a sponge — up to 900 times its own volume. Ag Silver Transition metal · Z 47 · 107.868 u The best electrical and thermal conductor of any element, and an antimicrobial known since antiquity. Cd Cadmium Transition metal · Z 48 · 112.414 u A soft, toxic metal that gave the world rechargeable NiCd cells and the brilliant yellow of old paint. In Indium Post-transition metal · Z 49 · 114.818 u Soft enough to leave a mark on paper, and the transparent conductor in every touchscreen. Sn Tin Post-transition metal · Z 50 · 118.71 u Bronze's other half: tin turned the Stone Age into the Bronze Age. Sb Antimony Metalloid · Z 51 · 121.76 u A brittle metalloid used since antiquity as eye cosmetic, and now as a flame retardant. Te Tellurium Metalloid · Z 52 · 127.6 u Rare on Earth, common in the universe, and the element that makes rewritable optical discs work. I Iodine Halogen · Z 53 · 126.904 u The halogen your thyroid cannot function without — and the reason table salt is iodised. Xe Xenon Noble gas · Z 54 · 131.293 u A noble gas heavy enough to be an anaesthetic, and bright enough to flash a camera. Cs Cesium Alkali metal · Z 55 · 132.905 u The most reactive metal, the softest, and the atom that defines the second. Ba Barium Alkaline earth metal · Z 56 · 137.327 u Dense, reactive, and the reason a "barium meal" makes your digestive tract show up on X-rays. La Lanthanum Lanthanide · Z 57 · 138.905 u The first lanthanide and the element that hid inside cerium for 36 years before anyone noticed. Ce Cerium Lanthanide · Z 58 · 140.116 u The most abundant rare earth, more common in the crust than copper. Pr Praseodymium Lanthanide · Z 59 · 140.908 u A rare earth that colours welder's goggles and, alloyed with neodymium, makes formidable magnets. Nd Neodymium Lanthanide · Z 60 · 144.242 u The magnet element: neodymium-iron-boron magnets are the strongest permanent magnets ever made. Pm Promethium Lanthanide · Z 61 · 145 u The only lanthanide with no stable isotope — it decayed away and had to be made in a reactor. Sm Samarium Lanthanide · Z 62 · 150.36 u A rare earth whose magnets keep working at temperatures that destroy neodymium. Eu Europium Lanthanide · Z 63 · 151.964 u The security element: europium phosphors are the anti-counterfeiting glow in euro banknotes. Gd Gadolinium Lanthanide · Z 64 · 157.25 u The rare earth with the greatest neutron capture cross-section of any stable nuclide. Tb Terbium Lanthanide · Z 65 · 158.925 u A green-phosphor rare earth that also changes shape in a magnetic field. Dy Dysprosium Lanthanide · Z 66 · 162.5 u "Hard to get at", and now indispensable for magnets that must survive engine-bay heat. Ho Holmium Lanthanide · Z 67 · 164.93 u The element with the strongest magnetic moment of any naturally occurring atom. Er Erbium Lanthanide · Z 68 · 167.259 u The rare earth that keeps the internet running: erbium amplifies light inside fibre-optic cable. Tm Thulium Lanthanide · Z 69 · 168.934 u The rarest of the stable lanthanides, and a portable X-ray source when irradiated. Yb Ytterbium Lanthanide · Z 70 · 173.045 u A soft rare earth whose electrical resistance jumps under pressure, making it a stress gauge. Lu Lutetium Lanthanide · Z 71 · 174.967 u The hardest, densest and most expensive of the lanthanides. Hf Hafnium Transition metal · Z 72 · 178.49 u Chemically almost identical to zirconium, yet its exact opposite in a reactor — it eats neutrons. Ta Tantalum Transition metal · Z 73 · 180.948 u A metal that shrugs off almost every acid and is biocompatible enough for surgical implants. W Tungsten Transition metal · Z 74 · 183.84 u The highest melting point of any metal — 3,422 degrees C — and the filament of the incandescent age. Re Rhenium Transition metal · Z 75 · 186.207 u One of the rarest elements in the crust, and the metal that lets jet turbines run hotter. Os Osmium Transition metal · Z 76 · 190.23 u The densest naturally occurring element: a litre of osmium weighs 22.6 kg. Ir Iridium Transition metal · Z 77 · 192.217 u The most corrosion-resistant metal known, and the fingerprint of the asteroid that ended the dinosaurs. Pt Platinum Transition metal · Z 78 · 195.084 u The catalyst metal: platinum makes reactions happen that would otherwise need impossible conditions. Au Gold Transition metal · Z 79 · 196.967 u Chemically almost inert, endlessly ductile, and valued by every civilisation that ever found it. Hg Mercury Transition metal · Z 80 · 200.592 u The only metal that is liquid at room temperature — and a potent neurotoxin. Tl Thallium Post-transition metal · Z 81 · 204.38 u Colourless, tasteless and lethal — thallium was the poisoner's element until detection caught up. Pb Lead Post-transition metal · Z 82 · 207.2 u Dense, soft and endlessly useful — and quietly responsible for centuries of chronic poisoning. Bi Bismuth Post-transition metal · Z 83 · 208.98 u The heaviest element that is very nearly stable, and the one that grows spectacular rainbow crystals. Po Polonium Post-transition metal · Z 84 · 209 u Intensely radioactive: a gram of polonium-210 emits enough alpha particles to glow blue and self-heat to 500 degrees C. At Astatine Metalloid · Z 85 · 210 u The rarest naturally occurring element on Earth — perhaps 25 grams exist in the entire crust at any moment. Rn Radon Noble gas · Z 86 · 222 u A radioactive noble gas that seeps out of granite and is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Fr Francium Alkali metal · Z 87 · 223 u The second rarest natural element, and the most electropositive — but no one has ever seen a visible sample. Ra Radium Alkaline earth metal · Z 88 · 226 u The element that glowed in the dark on watch dials, and killed the women who painted them. Ac Actinium Actinide · Z 89 · 227 u Intensely radioactive and 150 times more so than radium — actinium glows pale blue in the dark. Th Thorium Actinide · Z 90 · 232.038 u Three times more abundant than uranium and a potential reactor fuel that cannot easily be weaponised. Pa Protactinium Actinide · Z 91 · 231.036 u One of the rarest and most expensive natural elements — extracting 125 g once cost half a million dollars. U Uranium Actinide · Z 92 · 238.029 u The heaviest primordial element, and the one that split the twentieth century in two. Np Neptunium Actinide · Z 93 · 237 u The first transuranic element, made by bombarding uranium with neutrons in 1940. Pu Plutonium Actinide · Z 94 · 244 u The element that made the atomic age possible and powers spacecraft beyond the Sun's reach. Am Americium Actinide · Z 95 · 243 u The element quietly sitting in millions of smoke detectors worldwide. Cm Curium Actinide · Z 96 · 247 u Named for the Curies, and the isotope that has analysed the soil of Mars. Bk Berkelium Actinide · Z 97 · 247 u Made in nanogram quantities and used mainly as a target for creating even heavier elements. Cf Californium Actinide · Z 98 · 251 u A neutron source strong enough to be used in oil-well logging and cancer treatment. Es Einsteinium Actinide · Z 99 · 252 u Discovered in the fallout of the first hydrogen bomb test, in samples flown through the cloud. Fm Fermium Actinide · Z 100 · 257 u The heaviest element that can be made in weighable amounts by neutron bombardment. Md Mendelevium Actinide · Z 101 · 258 u The first element produced and identified one atom at a time. No Nobelium Actinide · Z 102 · 259 u The subject of a decade-long discovery dispute between Swedish, American and Soviet teams. Lr Lawrencium Actinide · Z 103 · 262 u The last actinide, with an electron configuration that broke the expected pattern. Rf Rutherfordium Transition metal · Z 104 · 267 u The first transactinide — and chemically a heavier cousin of hafnium, not an actinide at all. Db Dubnium Transition metal · Z 105 · 268 u Named after Dubna, the Russian town where much of superheavy chemistry was pioneered. Sg Seaborgium Transition metal · Z 106 · 271 u Named for Glenn Seaborg while he was still alive — a first for the periodic table. Bh Bohrium Transition metal · Z 107 · 272 u A superheavy element whose chemistry, tested one atom at a time, behaves as predicted for group 7. Hs Hassium Transition metal · Z 108 · 270 u The heaviest element whose chemical properties have been experimentally confirmed. Mt Meitnerium Transition metal · Z 109 · 276 u Named for Lise Meitner, who explained nuclear fission but was left off the Nobel Prize. Ds Darmstadtium Transition metal · Z 110 · 281 u Created at Darmstadt in 1994 by fusing nickel and lead nuclei. Rg Roentgenium Transition metal · Z 111 · 280 u Named for the discoverer of X-rays, and predicted to be chemically like gold. Cn Copernicium Transition metal · Z 112 · 285 u Predicted to be a volatile liquid — a metal that behaves almost like a noble gas. Nh Nihonium Post-transition metal · Z 113 · 284 u The first element discovered and named by an Asian research team. Fl Flerovium Post-transition metal · Z 114 · 289 u Predicted to sit in an "island of stability" where superheavy nuclei live far longer. Mc Moscovium Post-transition metal · Z 115 · 288 u Its decay chain provided crucial confirming evidence for the discovery of nihonium. Lv Livermorium Post-transition metal · Z 116 · 293 u Made by fusing calcium-48 with curium-248, and decays within milliseconds. Ts Tennessine Halogen · Z 117 · 294 u The second-to-last gap in the seventh period, filled in 2010 with a berkelium target. Og Oganesson Noble gas · Z 118 · 294 u The heaviest element ever made, and the only one named after a living person at the time.