March 3, 2021 by Rafael Parra Spanish Vocabulary 0 comments

The Periodic Table in Spanish: Let’s Learn About The Elements

Knowing about the periodic table in Spanish is useful even if you’re not in the field of chemistry. Why? We use and interact with many elements on a daily basis, in our jewelry, medication, house maintenance, and even our food.

Chemistry is everywhere! From the moment you wake up, there are already numerous chemical reactions happening in your brain and body. Having breakfast, brushing your teeth, taking a shower—all of these common activities involve chemistry.

Spanish students who have been learning for some time will find great benefits in learning about the periodic table in Spanish. Let’s enhance our skills through multidisciplinary learning!

Benefits of Multidisciplinary Learning

Multidisciplinary learning allows students to step out of their comfort zone to facilitate the introduction of new material. This learning method gives helpful students tools.

Being able to surprise Spanish speakers with unexpected nuggets of information could make the difference when looking for business and academic opportunities. Having elements from different disciplines at your disposal pays off in the long term. As a short-term benefit, you’ll learn some new Spanish vocabulary in the process.

The Periodic Table in Spanish

La tabla periódica de los elementos is a visual representation of chemical elements, organized by atomic number, electron configuration, and chemical properties.

Its conception was possible thanks to the efforts of numerous scientists. One of the most famous contributions was made by Russian chemist Dimitri Mendeleev. A

Let’s take a look at what each categorization in the periodic table of elements means.

1. Atomic Number

Atoms are composed of protons, neutrons, and electrons. El número atómico for each element describes how many protons are found in the nucleus of each atom. The atomic number gives different elements unique identities in the periodic table. The first element in the periodic table is hydrogen, with an atomic number of 1. The last element is oganesson with an atomic number of 118.

2. Electron Configuration

La configuración electrónica indicates the way electrons are structured, how they communicate and organize themselves. Think of electron configuration as a map that tells you where you might find electrons in any given atom.

3. Chemical Properties

Las propiedades químicas alter the composition of any given element. For this alteration to be considered a chemical property, it has to be evident and change its structure into something else. This means that touching or viewing the substance won’t affect its chemical properties.

Periodic Table in Spanish: Vocabulary

It’s mindblowing how the different properties that categorize the elements synergize with each other and give us a well organized spectrum of chemicals.

20 Common Elements

Let’s learn more about the periodic table in Spanish by looking at some of its most common elements.

1. Gold

Abbreviation: Au
Translation: Oro
Common uses: jewelry, currency, electronics

2. Carbon

Abbreviation: C
Translation: Carbono
Common uses: smelting; making pencils, inks, and paint

3. Hydrogen

Abbreviation: H
Translation: Hidrógeno
Common uses: fuel, fertilizers, important component of water

4. Oxygen

Abbreviation: O
Translation: Oxígeno
Common uses: energy intake, survival, life support

5. Helium

Abbreviation: He
Translation: Helio
Common uses: meteorology, cryogenics, balloons

6. Chlorine

Abbreviation: Cl
Translation: Cloro
Common uses: disinfectant, consumer products

7. Sodium

Abbreviation: Na
Translation: Sodio
Common uses: street lights, de-icing, preservative

8. Silver

Abbreviation: Ag
Translation: Plata
Common uses: jewelry, mirrors, electronics

9. Lithium

Abbreviation: Li
Translation: Litio
Common uses: batteries, treatment of bipolar disorders

10. Potassium

Abbreviation: K
Translation: Potasio
Common uses: treatment of high blood pressure and stroke prevention

11. Aluminum

Abbreviation: Al
Translation: Alumínio
Common uses: cans, foil, airplane parts

12. Iron

Abbreviation: Fe
Translation: Hierro
Common uses: building, smithing

13. Copper

Abbreviation: Cu
Translation: Cobre
Common uses: electronics, wiring, construction

14. Neon

Abbreviation: Ne
Translation: Neon
Common uses: high voltage indicator, cryogenic refrigerant

15. Calcium

Abbreviation: Ca
Translation: Calcio
Common uses: nutrition, building bone structure

16. Nitrogen

Abbreviation: N
Translation: Nitrógeno
Common uses: cryogenics, fertilizers

17. Mercury

Abbreviation: Hg
Translation: Mercurio
Common uses: thermometers, lamps, medicine

18. Cobalt

Abbreviation: Co
Translation: Cobalto
Common uses: magnets

19. Magnesium

Abbreviation: Mg
Translation: Magnesio
Common uses: fireworks, muscle and nerve function

20. Sulfur

Abbreviation: S
Translation: Sulfuro
Common uses: gunpowder, matches, fireworks

List of All Elements in Spanish

Hydrogen — Hidrógeno
Helium — Helio
Lithium — Litio
Beryllium — Berilio
Boron — Boro
Carbon — Carbono
Nitrogen — Nitrógeno
Oxygen — Oxígeno
Fluorine — Flúor
Neon — Neón
Sodium — Sodio
Magnesium — Magnesio
Aluminum — Aluminio
Silicon — Silicón
Phosphorus — Fósforo
Sulfur — Sulfuro
Chlorine — Cloro
Argon — Argón
Potassium — Potasio
Calcium — Calcio
Scandium — Escandio
Titanium — Titanio
Vanadium — Vanadio
Chromium — Cromo
Manganese — Manganeso
Iron — Hierro
Cobalt — Cobalto
Nickel — Níquel
Copper — Cobre
Zinc — Zinc
Gallium — Galio
Germanium — Germanio
Arsenic — Arsénico
Selenium — Selenio
Bromine — Bromo
Krypton — Kriptón
Rubidium — Rubidio
Strontium — Estroncio
Yttrium — Itrio
Zirconium — Zirconio
Niobium — Niobio
Molybdenum — Molibdeno
Technetium — Tecnecio
Ruthenium — Rutenio
Rhodium — Rodio
Palladium — Paladio
Silver — Plata
Cadmium — Cadmio
Indium — Indio
Tin — Estaño
Antimony — Antimonio
Tellurium — Telurio
Iodine — Yodo
Xenon — Xenón
Cesium — Cesio
Barium — Bario
Lanthanum — Lantano
Cer — Cerio
Praseodymium — Praseodimio
Neodymium — Neodimio
Promethium — Prometio
Samarium — Samario
Europium — Europio
Gadolinium — Gadolinio
Terbium — Terbio
Dysprosium — Disprosio
Holmium — Holmio
Erbium — Erbio
Thulium — Tulio
Ytterbium — Iterbio
Lutetium — Lutecio
Hafnium — Hafino
Tantalum — Tantalio
Tungsten — Tungsteno
Rhenium — Renio
Osmium — Osmio
Iridium — Iridio
Platinum — Platino
Gold — Oro
Mercury — Mercurio
Thallium — Talio
Lead — Plomo
Bismuth — Bismuto
Polonium — Polonio
Astatine — Astato
Radon — Radón
Francium — Francio
Radium — Radio
Actinium — Actinio
Thorium — Torio
Protactinium — Protactinio
Uranium — Uranio
Neptunium — Neptunio
Plutonium — Plutonio
Americium — Americio
Curium — Curio
Berkelium — Berkelio
Californium — Californio
Einsteinium — Einstenio
Fermium — Fermio
Mendelevium — Mendelevio
Nobelium — Nobelio
Lawrencium — Laurencio
Rutherfordium — Rutherfordio
Dubnium — Dubnio
Seaborgium — Seaborgio
Bohrium — Bohrio
Hassium — Hassio
Meitnerium — Meitnerio
Darmstadtium — Darmstadtio
Roentgenium — Roentgenio
Copernicium — Copernicio
Nihonium — Nihonio
Flerovium — Flevorio
Moscovium — Moscovio
Livermorium — Livermorio
Tennessine — Teneso
Oganesson — Oganesón

Strategies to Learn About the Periodic Table in Spanish

With over 100 elements to learn on the periodic table in Spanish, the goal of learning them all may seem distant. With the following techniques, you’ll make that goal seem closer than ever!

Progressive Difficulty

Some elements, such as hydrogen and oxygen, are the easiest to memorize because we encounter them frequently. If you start by learning the most common elements of the periodic table in Spanish, you’ll gain a solid base that will boost your confidence and set you on the right track!

Pro tip: integrate difficult elements little by little, and leave some easy elements to memorize later. Balance the difficulty curve to avoid getting discouraged.

Look for Similarities

Many elements have similar names in English and Spanish. You’ll even be able to guess some of them by observing similarities and patterns in the periodic table in Spanish.

Oftentimes, all you have to do is substitute the English suffix “-ium” for the spanish suffix -io. This trick won’t always work since some elements don’t have this suffix. Note that some elements that do have this suffix have slight alterations in their spelling.

Get a Positive Reaction From Your Peers

Multidisciplinary learning is a great way to expand your horizons. By learning the periodic table in Spanish, you’ll be able to practice vocabulary and learn terms that you can have at the ready to impress your peers when the time comes.

The magic of multidisciplinary learning lies in the prospect of slowly accumulating knowledge that will pay off in the long term while giving you short-term benefits, as well.

If you want to incorporate multidisciplinary learning into your life but you don’t know where to start, a Spanish teacher will have the grammatical knowhow that will facilitate your learning process and arm you with skills that will make you stand out in a competitive world. Take a free class with one of our certified Spanish teachers at Homeschool Spanish Academy, and get ready to get positive reactions from your fellow Spanish speakers!

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Rafael Parra

Freelance Writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy

A native Spanish speaker from Guatemala, I'm a psychology student, creative developer, and aspiring polymath who's always learning new things and improving as a person. I'm a nerd when it comes to language, education, and videogames. My goal is to practice all these disciplines in unison and make something great with my time.