Abstract
It might be thought that naming the chemical elements presents no problems and has a relatively simple history compared to other areas of chemical nomenclature. This chapter will look at the way the concept of a chemical element developed and how naming these elements moved from an idiosyncratic process, strongly influenced by history and personalities, to one regulated internationally by IUPAC. However, the naming of the elements still arouses strong nationalistic and personal feelings, as the recent controversy over naming the transuranium elements shows. This chapter will show that this state of affairs is nothing new in the history of the chemical elements.
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Childs, P.E. (1998). From hydrogen to meitnerium: naming the chemical elements. In: Thurlow, K.J. (eds) Chemical Nomenclature. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4958-7_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4958-7_2
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