Systematic naming of Elements with Atomic Numbers greater than 110

Elements of atomic numbers greater than 110 are often referred to in the scientific literature but receive names only after they have been 'discovered'. Names are needed for indexing and other purposes and the Commission on Nomenclature of Inorganic Chemistry was asked to make recommendations concerning names and symbols of the heavy 'unknown' elements. The Commission decided that these elements would be best named systematically and that names should accord with the following principles:

(i) The names should be short and obviously related to the atomic numbers of the elements.

(ii) The names should end in ' ium' whether the element was expected to be a metal or otherwise.

(iii) The symbols for the systematically named elements should consist of three letters.

(iv) The symbols should be derived directly from the atomic numbers and be visually related to the names as far as possible.

The reasons for principles (i), (ii), and (iv) are obvious but those for (iii) are not so immediately apparent. The Commission recommends the use of three-letter symbols because any systematically derived set of two-letter symbols will tend to duplicate some of the two-letter symbols of elements of atomic numbers less than 110. Any ad hoc method of removing such duplication will destroy the systematic derivation of the symbol.

The existence of a systematic nomenclature for the unknown elements does not deny the right of 'discoverers' of new elements to suggest other names to the Commission after their discovery has been established beyond all doubt in the general scientific community. 

Nomenclature of Elements of Atomic Numbers greater than 110

1. The name is derived directly from the atomic number of the element using the following numerical roots:

 
2. The roots are put together in the order of the digits which make up the atomic number and terminated by ' ium' to spell out the name. The final 'n' of 'enn' is elided when it occurs before 'nil', and the final 'i' of 'bi' and of 'tri' when it occurs before 'ium'.

3. The symbol of the element is composed of the initial letters of the numerical roots which make up the name.

4. The root 'un' is pronounced with a long 'u', to rhyme with 'moon'. In the element names each root is to be pronounced separately.

Dim LA(0 To 9) As String: Dim Za As String : Dim en As String : Dim sy As String

Za$ = LTrim$( InputBox(" Please insert atomic number > 110 ", ""))      
myLen = Len(Za$)
 
For bs = 1 To myLen
wsx = Val(Mid(Za$, bs, 1))
If bs = 1 Then 
anf$ = UCase(Left(LA(wsx), 1)): elenam$ = anf$ + Mid(LA(wsx), 2, myLen): sy$ = anf$
Else
elenam$ = elenam$ + LA(wsx) 
sy$ = sy$ + Left(LA(wsx), 1)
  End If
Next
If Right(elenam$, 1) = "i" Then
elenam$ = elenam$ + "um"
Else
elenam$ = elenam$ + "ium"
End If
     supos = InStr(1, elenam$, "nnn"):
     If supos > 0 Then elenam$ = Left(elenam$, supos - 1) + Mid(elenam$, supos + 1)
sy$ = "  [ " + sy$ + " ]"
en$ = elenam$
MsgBox Za$ + " " + en$ + " " + sy$
 
End Sub

Atomic number, Name, Symbol

101 Mendelevium (Unnilunium, Unu ) Md 
102 Nobelium (Unnilbium, Unb ) No
103 Lawrencium (Unniltrium, Unt ) Lr
104 Rutherfordium  ( Unnilquadium, Unq ) Rf
105 Dubnium ( Unnilpentium, Unp ) Db
106 Seaborgium ( Unnilhexium, Unh ) Sg
107 Bohrium (Unnilseptium, Uns ) Bh
108 Hassium ( Unniloctium, Uno ) Hs
109 Meitnerium ( Unnilennium, Une) Mt 
110 Darmstadtium ( Ununnilium, Uun) Ds
111 Roentgenium ( Unununium, Uuu) Rg

112 Ununbium Uub 
113 Ununtrium Uut 
114 Ununquadium Uuq 
115 Ununpentium Uup 
116 Ununhexium Uuh 
117 Ununseptium Uus 
118 Ununoctium Uuo 
119 Ununennium Uue 
120 Unbinilium Ubn 
121 Unbiunium Ubu 

130 Untrinilium Utn 
140 Unquadnilium Uqn 
150 Unpentnilium Upn 
160 Unhexnilium Uhn 
170 Unseptnilium Usn 
180 Unoctnilium Uon 
190 Unennilium Uen 

200 Binilnilium Bnn 
201 Binilunium Bnu 
202 Binilbium Bnb 
224 Bibiquadium Bbq

300 Trinilnilium Tnn 
400 Quadnilnilium Qnn 
500 Pentnilnilium Pnn 

900 Ennilnilium Enn 

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Created:

Last Updated:

Recommendations for the Naming of Elements of Atomic Numbers 
http://www.chem.qmul.ac.uk/iupac/AtWt/element.html