50 CHEMICAL SYMBOLS. 



by N ; and nitric acid by N. This is a most 

 important improvement of chemical symbols, 

 when we reflect that oxygen enters into the com- 

 position of nearly all compound bodies. 



Berzelius represents the number of sulphur 



atoms by commas. Thus H indicates sulphu- 

 retted hydrogen ; and H, bisulphuretted hydro- 

 gen, &c. He also denotes various compounds by 

 the initial letters of their names. Aq. repre- 

 sents water : Cy. Cyanogen ; Ni. nitrate of potass ; 

 Am. ammonia, &c. It is sometimes convenient 

 to denote 2 atoms of an element by a dash under 



its symbol. Thus Fe, denotes 2 atoms of iron 

 and 3 of oxygen, as in the peroxide of iron. 



TABLE OF ATOMIC WEIGHTS, 



AND OF THE SYMBOLS BY WHICH THEY ARE REPRESENTED. 

 Parts by weight. Parts by weight. 



8 Oxyg. combine with 1 H. to form H 9 parts by weight of water. 



16 O 2 1 H H 17 Binoxide of hydrogen. 



8 O 6 C C 14 Carbonic oxide. 



16 O 2 6 C C 22 Carbonic acid. 



16 O* 16 S S 32 Sulphurous acid. 



24 O 3 16 S S 40 Sulphuric acid. 



8 O 14 N N 22 Protoxide of nitrogen. 



16 O 2 14 N N 30 Binoxide of do. 



24 O 3 14 N N 38 Hyponitrous acid. 



