Question

What is the symbol for the element oxygen?
a.) \[{O_s}\]
b.) \[O\]
c.) \[{O_x}\]
d.) \[Ge\]
e.) \[N\]

Answer 1

Hint: Try to recall that symbol of an element is simply the abbreviated form of the element name. The number at the top indicates the atomic mass and the number at the bottom represents the atomic number. Now by using this you can easily find the correct option for the given question.

Complete step by step solution:
It is known to you that symbol of an element is a one or two letter notation that is used for denoting the chemical elements.
While others symbols have taken from the names of elements in Latin, German or Greek. For example: the symbol of iron is Fe from its Latin name “ferrum” and the symbol of sodium is Na from “natrium”, symbol of potassium is K from “kalium” etc.
The significance of using symbols for elements are as follows:
The symbol of an element is used to represent it in a chemical reaction.
It helps to give a molecular formula and predicts many properties owing to bonds that it shows.
It also distinguishes one element from another element.
Now, since most elements have symbols of one or two letters of their name. So, for Oxygen, the symbol is O, $Ge$ is the symbol of germanium and $N$ is the symbol of nitrogen atom.
Therefore, from above we can conclude that option B is the correct option for the given question.

Note: It should be remembered to you that chemical symbols are actually shorthand representations of an element.
Also, you should remember that a chemical symbol is the internationally designated and accepted symbol for one of the 118(known till date) chemical elements.