What is the chemical symbol for sodium?

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What is the chemical symbol for sodium?

In chemistry, element symbols are compact abbreviations for the elements, often derived from their names in English or Latin. Sodium’s symbol is Na, derived from the Latin natrium, the historical name for the element. This two-letter symbol is what you use in formulas and equations to represent sodium, and you’ll see it in compounds like NaCl (table salt). The other symbols correspond to different elements: potassium is K, calcium is Ca, and iron is Fe. Note the capitalization convention: the first letter is uppercase and the second (if present) is lowercase, as in Na.

In chemistry, element symbols are compact abbreviations for the elements, often derived from their names in English or Latin. Sodium’s symbol is Na, derived from the Latin natrium, the historical name for the element. This two-letter symbol is what you use in formulas and equations to represent sodium, and you’ll see it in compounds like NaCl (table salt). The other symbols correspond to different elements: potassium is K, calcium is Ca, and iron is Fe. Note the capitalization convention: the first letter is uppercase and the second (if present) is lowercase, as in Na.

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