Symbol equations are a quick way of representing chemical reactions. They show us what atoms are involved and how they are bonded together. Symbol equations always take the form, reactants → ...

We call these letters symbols. And an element is a pure substance made from only one type of atom. And there are quite a lot of elements. There are something like 100, and each has a unique symbol ...

Although the first documented use of @ was in 1536, the symbol did not rise from modern obscurity until 1971. Illustration by Erik Marinovich Called the “snail” by Italians and the “monkey ...