What does an element's atomic symbol mean?

Answer by  anrimala36 (208)

An element's atomic symbol is just the letters that denote it: ex)Ne for neon or O for oxygen. What you may be thinking of is the atomic number, which denotes the number of protons in the atom (or the number of electrons in the ground state since they are equal).

Answer by  Matt09 (25)

Atomic symbols are the shortened terms for elements. This symbol is derived from the latin name, resulting in some elements having unusual symbols. For example, the symbol for sodium is Na. The number of protons and electrons can be determined from the atomic number. For example, the atomic number of hydrogen is 1 meaning it has 1 proton and electron.