A chemical element is a substance made up entirely of atoms that share the same number of protons in their nuclei, known as the atomic number. This proton count fixes the element’s identity, determining its position on the periodic table and its chemical behavior. With 118 elements currently identified, a standardized system is necessary for scientists globally to communicate clearly. Formal nomenclature rules ensure every element has a unique and unambiguous name, defining how new discoveries are formally recognized.
The Global Authority for Chemical Names
The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) standardizes chemical terminology and ensures the uniformity of element names. This global body manages all aspects of chemical nomenclature, including the official process for confirming new element discoveries. Before a name is considered, the element’s existence must be verified by a joint working group composed of members from IUPAC and the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP).
Once the discovery claims have been substantiated and priority has been assigned to a specific research laboratory, the discoverers are invited to propose a name and a corresponding chemical symbol. This proposal is then submitted to the IUPAC Inorganic Chemistry Division for examination and acceptance. The division reviews the suggestion to ensure it complies with established naming guidelines before it is forwarded for wider approval.
Following the review, the proposed name enters a five-month public review period, allowing the global scientific community to comment on the suggestion. This stage ensures transparency and helps resolve potential disputes regarding the name or symbol. The final step is the formal ratification of the name and symbol by the IUPAC Council, which makes the new designation official and permanent for all scientific applications.
Categories Defining Permanent Names
IUPAC’s guidelines permit discoverers to draw inspiration for a permanent name from one of five distinct categories, ensuring that the chosen name has a connection to the element’s history or properties. One common source is a geographical location, often the site of the discovery or a place that significantly contributed to the research field. Examples include berkelium, named after the city of Berkeley, California, and americium, which honors the continent where it was first synthesized.
Names may also be derived from mythological concepts or characters, linking the new element to ancient stories or celestial bodies. The name vanadium, for instance, comes from Vanadis, an alternate name for the Norse goddess of beauty and fertility, Freyja. Similarly, thorium is named after Thor, the Norse god of thunder.
Elements can also be named after a property of the element itself, or the mineral from which it was isolated. Argon derives its name from the Greek word for “lazy” or “inactive,” reflecting its extremely low chemical reactivity as a noble gas. This descriptive approach highlights a defining characteristic of the substance.
Elements are also frequently named to honor distinguished scientists, recognizing their profound contributions to the field of chemistry or physics. Mendelevium, for example, honors Dmitri Mendeleev, the chemist who created the first periodic table of the elements. Einsteinium was named to commemorate Albert Einstein, recognizing his fundamental theories that underpin much of modern physics. All permanent names are required to end in a suffix that reflects their position in the periodic table, generally ‘-ium’ for most newly discovered elements.
Systematic Naming for New Elements
Before an element’s existence is officially verified and a permanent name is sanctioned, a temporary placeholder name is assigned for unambiguous communication among researchers. This placeholder uses a systematic nomenclature based directly on the element’s atomic number. The system employs Latin and Greek numerical roots, translating each digit into a specific root word. These roots are concatenated in order, and the name is completed with the standard suffix ‘-ium’. For example, element 113 is temporarily named ununtrium (un-un-tri), and its systematic symbol is the three-letter abbreviation Uut.
This temporary nomenclature provides a clear, rule-based method for identifying and discussing new, unconfirmed elements across the scientific literature. Once the IUPAC-IUPAP working group validates the discovery and the permanent name proposal is ratified, the systematic name is immediately replaced. The temporary name, such as ununoctium for element 118, serves its purpose until a formal name like oganesson is approved.