Year 8 Science · Unit 2 · Lesson 02
Foundation Worksheet
Learning Goals
Fill the gap
Choose the correct word from the word bank. Two words will not be used.
Every element has a standard chemical that scientists use all over the world. Its first letter is always a letter, and a second letter, if there is one, is always . Some symbols come from old names, such as Fe from ferrum for iron. In a formula such as H₂O, the small number written after a symbol is called a .
Match each element to its symbol
Careful: these symbols look alike. Write the matching letter in the middle column. Each letter is used once.
| Element | Letter | Symbol |
|---|---|---|
| Calcium | A. Cl | |
| Copper | B. Co | |
| Carbon | C. Cu | |
| Chlorine | D. He | |
| Cobalt | E. Ca | |
| Helium | F. C |
Sort it
Write each symbol in the correct box. Each box gets exactly five.
Symbol matches the English name
Symbol comes from another language
1. Pick one symbol from your second box. Write the old name it comes from and the language.
Read the data
A symbols quiz
A Year 8 class of 28 students was given six element names and asked to write each symbol. A symbol only counted as correct if both letters and their case were right.
| Element | Correct symbol | Students correct | Most common wrong answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oxygen | O | 27 | Ox |
| Sodium | Na | 12 | So |
| Chlorine | Cl | 19 | CL |
| Carbon | C | 26 | Ca |
| Iron | Fe | 15 | Ir |
| Gold | Au | 17 | Go |
Source: sample class results.
2. Which three elements had the fewest students correct? What do their symbols have in common?
3. Look at the wrong answers for chlorine and carbon. Explain why each one is marked wrong, and what each would really mean to a chemist.
4. A new lab assistant labels a jar of cobalt metal “CO”. Explain what is wrong with the label, what “CO” really means, and why a mistake like this matters in a real lab.
Fill the gap
symbol; capital; lowercase; Latin; subscript. Not used: English, number.
Match each element to its symbol
Calcium → E; Copper → C; Carbon → F; Chlorine → A; Cobalt → B; Helium → D.
Sort it
Matches the English name: H, O, Mg, N, Li. From another language: Na (Latin natrium), Au (Latin aurum), K (Latin kalium), Fe (Latin ferrum), W (German Wolfram).
1. Any one from the second box with its correct old name and language, for example Au from the Latin aurum. [2 marks: 1 old name, 1 language]
Read the data
2. Sodium (12), iron (15) and gold (17). None of their symbols matches the English name; they come from Latin names (natrium, ferrum, aurum). [2 marks: 1 three elements, 1 pattern]
3. CL: the second letter must be lowercase, so chlorine is Cl; two capitals would be read as two separate elements, carbon (C) and an L, which is not a symbol at all. Ca: this is a real symbol, but it means calcium, a different element; carbon is C. Both answers change the meaning, so they cannot be marked right. [3 marks: 1 CL rule; 1 Ca is calcium; 1 case and letters change the meaning]
Show What You Know
4. Marking guide: 1 the correct symbol is Co; 1 rule: first letter capital, second letter lowercase; 1 CO means carbon monoxide, a compound of carbon and oxygen (a poisonous gas), not an element; 1 why it matters: someone could order, store or use the wrong substance, which is a safety risk, and scientists everywhere must read symbols the same way. [4 marks]
Common error to watch for: treating case as spelling or neatness. Co and CO are different substances, so a case error is a science error.