Atomic Numbers
Match elements to their atomic number in a free, timed browser game. Hydrogen is 1, gold is 79, uranium is 92.
ScienceElement Symbols
Half the symbols look nothing like the English word, because they come from Latin: gold is Au from aurum, lead is Pb from plumbum. Below: the shortcuts and the ones worth memorising outright.
Choose your difficulty
Pick a level to start playing. You can switch at any time.
How to play
Read the element, then tap its symbol.
Tip: your progress and best score are saved in this browser only.
Related games
SI Units
Match physical quantities to their SI units in a free, timed browser game. Newton, joule, watt, pascal.
ScienceType the Symbol
Type the chemical symbol for each element, in a free timed browser game. Au, Ag, Pb — recall it and type it.
ScienceBody Systems
Match body systems and organs to what they do in a free timed browser game. Circulatory, respiratory, digestive and more.
ScienceSpace Objects
Match astronomical objects to what they are in a free timed browser game. Comet, nebula, neutron star, black hole and more.
ScienceWhat you are actually practicing
Half the chemical symbols bear no resemblance to the English word, because they come from Latin: gold is Au from aurum, silver is Ag from argentum, lead is Pb from plumbum, iron is Fe from ferrum.
The other half are simply the first letter of the English name, which is why H, C, O and N are trivial and Au, Pb, Sn are not.
How the game works
You are shown an element and four symbols. Pick the right one. A wrong pick reveals it immediately.
Easy uses the famous elements. Medium widens the set. Hard uses the full list, including the Latin-derived symbols that give everyone trouble.
The patterns worth knowing
One letter, first letter of the name: H hydrogen, C carbon, O oxygen, N nitrogen, S sulfur.
Latin roots: Au gold (aurum), Ag silver (argentum), Fe iron (ferrum), Pb lead (plumbum), Cu copper (cuprum), Sn tin (stannum), Hg mercury (hydrargyrum).
Not the first letter: Na sodium, K potassium, Ca calcium, Mg magnesium, Zn zinc, He helium, Ne neon, Cl chlorine.
Strategies that actually raise your score
Learn the Latin list as a group. Seven symbols cover almost every "this makes no sense" moment, and they are the ones that appear in questions most often.
Use the second letter to rule options out. Symbols are one uppercase letter plus at most one lowercase — AU is wrong, Au is right. Options with two capitals are wrong on sight.
Watch K and Na. Potassium and sodium look like they should start with P and S, which is why both appear as distractors constantly.
Anchor on a word you already know. "Sodium chloride" is table salt; hearing NaCl in that phrase is what makes Na stick.