Elementos nombrados por una propiedad
Varios elementos fueron nombrados directamente por una propiedad observable en el momento del descubrimiento: un color, un olor, un peso, una reactividad o un comportamiento. Algunos ejemplos son el cloro (griego chloros, verde pálido), el bromo (griego bromos, hedor), el argón (griego argos, perezoso) y el indio (latín indicum, índigo). Esta página lista todos los elementos cuyo nombre describe uno de sus rasgos físicos o químicos.
Volver a los orígenes de los nombres
Fuente del nombre
Idioma de origen
| No. | Symbol | Elemento | Original word | Meaning | Language | Nombrado por |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | H | Hidrógeno | hydor + genes | Water-forming | Greek | Antoine Lavoisier (1783) |
| 3 | Li | Litio | lithos | Stone | Greek | |
| 6 | C | Carbono | carbo | Charcoal | Latin | |
| 7 | N | Nitrógeno | nitron + genes | Nitre-forming | Greek | Jean-Antoine Chaptal (1790) |
| 8 | O | Oxígeno | oxys + genes | Acid-forming | Greek | Antoine Lavoisier (1777) |
| 9 | F | Flúor | fluere | To flow | Latin | Humphry Davy, André-Marie Ampère |
| 10 | Ne | Neón | neos | New | Greek | |
| 11 | Na | Sodio | soda | Soda | English | |
| 13 | Al | Aluminio | alumen | Bitter salt | Latin | Humphry Davy (1812) |
| 15 | P | Fósforo | phosphoros | Bringer of light | Greek | |
| 16 | S | Azufre | sulpur | Brimstone | Latin | |
| 17 | Cl | Cloro | chloros | Greenish-yellow | Greek | Sir Humphry Davy (1810) |
| 18 | Ar | Argón | argos | Idle | Greek | |
| 19 | K | Potasio | potash | Potash | English | |
| 24 | Cr | Cromo | chroma | Colour | Greek | |
| 25 | Mn | Manganeso | magnes | Magnet | Latin | |
| 26 | Fe | Hierro | iren | Iren | Anglo-Saxon | |
| 30 | Zn | Zinc | zink | Zink | German | Paracelsus |
| 35 | Br | Bromo | bromos | Stench | Greek | |
| 36 | Kr | Kriptón | kryptos | Hidden | Greek | |
| 37 | Rb | Rubidio | rubidus | Dark red | Latin | |
| 40 | Zr | Circonio | zargun | Gold-like | Arabic | |
| 42 | Mo | Molibdeno | molybdos | Lead | Greek | Peter Jacob Hjelm (1781) |
| 43 | Tc | Tecnecio | technetos | Artificial | Greek | |
| 45 | Rh | Rodio | rhodon | Rose-coloured | Greek | |
| 47 | Ag | Plata | seolfor | Seolfor | Anglo-Saxon | |
| 49 | In | Indio | indicum | Indigo | Latin | |
| 50 | Sn | Estaño | tin | Tin | Anglo-Saxon | |
| 51 | Sb | Antimonio | anti + monos | Not alone | Greek | |
| 53 | I | Yodo | iodes | Violet | Greek | Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac (1813) |
| 54 | Xe | Xenón | xenos | Stranger | Greek | William Ramsay (1898) |
| 55 | Cs | Cesio | caesius | Sky blue | Latin | |
| 56 | Ba | Bario | barys | Heavy | Greek | Humphry Davy (1808) |
| 57 | La | Lantano | lanthanein | Lie hidden | Greek | Carl Gustaf Mosander (1839) |
| 59 | Pr | Praseodimio | prasios + didymos | Green twin | Greek | |
| 60 | Nd | Neodimio | neos + didymos | New twin | Greek | |
| 66 | Dy | Disprosio | dysprositos | Hard to obtain | Greek | Lecoq de Boisbaudran (1886) |
| 74 | W | Tungsteno | tung sten | Heavy stone | Swedish | Torbern Bergman (1781) |
| 76 | Os | Osmio | osme | Smell | Greek | Smithson Tennant |
| 78 | Pt | Platino | platina | Little silver | Spanish | |
| 79 | Au | Oro | gold | Gold | Anglo-Saxon | |
| 81 | Tl | Talio | thallos | Green twig | Greek | |
| 82 | Pb | Plomo | lead | Lead | Anglo-Saxon | |
| 83 | Bi | Bismuto | wismuth | White mass | German | |
| 85 | At | Astato | astatos | Unstable | Greek | |
| 86 | Rn | Radón | radius | From radium | Latin | |
| 88 | Ra | Radio | radius | Ray | Latin | |
| 89 | Ac | Actinio | aktinos | Ray | Greek | André-Louis Debierne (1899) |
| 91 | Pa | Protactinio | protos + aktinos | First ray | Greek | Otto Hahn, Lise Meitner (1917) |