
It’s handy to know the first 20 elements of the periodic table. Around 99% of the mass of the human body is made of six of these elements. The first 20 elements are also a good overview of the different element groups. They also occur in most everyday chemical reactions.
List of the First 20 Elements
The elements are listed in order of increasing atomic number. The atomic number is the number of protons in atoms of each element. The first 20 elements and their symbols are:
- Hydrogen (H)
- Helium (He)
- Lithium (Li)
- Beryllium (Be)
- Boron (B)
- Carbon (C)
- Nitrogen (N)
- Oxygen (O)
- Fluorine (F)
- Neon (Ne)
- Sodium (Na)
- Magnesium (Mg)
- Aluminum (Al)
- Silicon (Si)
- Phosphorus (P)
- Sulfur (S)
- Chlorine (Cl)
- Argon (Ar)
- Potassium (K)
- Calcium (Ca)
What Makes Them Elements?
At a minimum, matter must contain one or more protons to be an element. The number of protons identifies the element. Atoms of elements may also contain neutrons together with protons to form the atomic nucleus. Samples with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons are all the same element but are different isotopes. Atoms also have electrons that orbit around the nucleus. Changing the number of electrons around an atom makes it an ion, but doesn’t change its identity as an element. Elements are called the building blocks of matter because their atoms can’t be divided into smaller parts using any chemical means. Atoms of elements can form chemical bonds with one another to form compounds.
Element Names and Symbols
Elements may be identified using their atomic number, element name, or element symbol. The symbol is a one- or two-letter abbreviation of the name. However, some symbols refer to old element names. For example, the symbol for sodium is Na. This refers to the Latin word natrium, which was the old name for caustic soda. The symbol of potassium is K, which stands for the Latin word kalium, which meant alkali or potash. The first letter of an element symbol is capitalized. When there is a second letter, it is lower case.

Now that you know the first 20 elements, why not learn the names of several more? Try singing “The Element Song” or follow along!
A Closer Look at the First 20 Elements
Here is a brief description of each of the first 20 elements, including appearance, state of matter under normal temperature and pressure, atomic number, symbol, atomic mass, electron configuration, and element group:
Hydrogen

- Hydrogen is a nonmetallic, colorless gas under ordinary conditions. Under extreme pressure, it becomes an alkali metal. There are three isotopes of this element, which differ in the number of neutrons in their atoms. The most common isotope is protium. The others are deuterium and tritium.
- Atomic Number: 1
- Symbol: H
- Atomic Mass: 1.008
- Electron Configuration: 1s1
- Group: group 1, s-block, nonmetal
Helium
- Helium is a light, colorless gas.
- Atomic Number: 2
- Symbol: He
- Atomic Mass: 4.002602(2)
- Electron Configuration: 1s2
- Group: group 18, s-block, noble gas
Lithium

- Lithium is a reactive silver solid metal.
- Atomic Number: 3
- Symbol: Li
- Atomic Mass: 6.94 (6.938–6.997)
- Electron Configuration: [He] 2s1
- Group: group 1, s-block, alkali metal
Beryllium
- Beryllium is a shiny gray-white solid metal.
- Atomic Number: 4
- Symbol: Be
- Atomic Mass: 9.0121831(5)
- Electron Configuration: [He] 2s2
- Group: group 2, s-block, alkaline earth metal
Boron
- Boron is a gray solid with a metallic luster.
- Atomic Number: 5
- Symbol: B
- Atomic Mass: 10.81 (10.806–10.821)
- Electron Configuration: [He] 2s2 2p1
- Group: group 13, p-block, metalloid
Carbon
- Carbon is a solid that takes several forms, include diamond, graphite, and amorphous carbon. It is black, gray, or colorless.
- Atomic Number: 6
- Symbol: C
- Atomic Mass: 12.011 (12.0096–12.0116)
- Electron Configuration: [He] 2s2 2p2
- Group: group 14, p-block, usually a nonmetal although sometimes considered a metalloid
Nitrogen
- Nitrogen is a colorless gas.
- Atomic Number: 7
- Symbol: N
- Atomic Mass: 14.007
- Electron Configuration: [He] 2s2 2p3
- Group: group 15 (pnictogens), p-block, nonmetal
Oxygen
- Oxygen is a colorless gas. Its liquid form is blue, while its solid takes many colors, including red, metallic, and black.
- Atomic Number: 8
- Symbol: O
- Atomic Mass: 15.999 or 16.00
- Electron Configuration: [He] 2s2 2p4
- Group: group 16 (chalcogens), p-block, nonmetal
Fluorine
- Fluorine is a pale yellow gas and liquid and bright yellow solid.
- Atomic Number: 9
- Symbol: F
- Atomic Mass: 18.998403163(6)
- Electron Configuration: [He] 2s2 2p5
- Group: group 17, p-block, halogen
Neon
- Neon is a colorless gas that emits an orange-red glow when excited in an electric field.
- Atomic Number: 10
- Symbol: Ne
- Atomic Mass: 20.1797(6)
- Electron Configuration: [He] 2s2 2p6
- Group: group 18, p-block, noble gas
Sodium
- Sodium is a soft, silvery-white solid metal.
- Atomic Number: 11
- Symbol: Na
- Atomic Mass: 22.98976928(2)
- Electron Configuration: [Ne] 3s1
- Group: group 1, s-block, alkali metal
Magnesium
- Magnesium is a shiny gray solid metal.
- Atomic Number: 12
- Symbol: Mg
- Atomic Mass: 24.305
- Electron Configuration: [Ne] 3s2
- Group: group 2, s-block, alkaline earth metal
Aluminum
- Aluminum is a soft, silver-colored, nonmagnetic metal.
- Atomic Number: 13
- Symbol: Al
- Atomic Mass: 26.9815385(7)
- Electron Configuration: [Ne] 3s2 3p1
- Group: group 13, p-block, considered a post-transition metal or sometimes a metalloid
Silicon
- Silicon is a hard, blue-gray crystalline solid that has a metallic luster.
- Atomic Number: 14
- Symbol: Si
- Atomic Mass: 28.085
- Electron Configuration: [Ne] 3s2 3p2
- Group: group 14 (carbon group), p-block, metalloid
Phosphorus
- Phosphorus is a solid under ordinary conditions, but it takes several forms. The most common are white phosphorus and red phosphorus.
- Atomic Number: 15
- Symbol: P
- Atomic Mass: 30.973761998(5)
- Electron Configuration: [Ne] 3s2 3p3
- Group: group 15 (pnictogens), p-block, usually considered a nonmetal, but sometimes a metalloid
Sulfur

- Sulfur is a yellow solid, usually found as a crystal or powder.
- Atomic Number: 16
- Symbol: S
- Atomic Mass: 32.06
- Electron Configuration: [Ne] 3s2 3p4
- Group: group 16 (chalcogens), p-block, nonmetal
Chlorine
- Chlorine is a pale yellow-green gas under ordinary conditions. Its liquid form is bright yellow.
- Atomic Number: 17
- Symbol: Cl
- Atomic Mass: 35.45
- Electron Configuration: [Ne] 3s2 3p5
- Group: group 17, p-block, halogen
Argon
- Argon is a colorless gas, liquid, and solid. It is a gas under ordinary conditions. It emits a bright lilac-purple glow when excited in an electric field.
- Atomic Number: 18
- Symbol: Ar
- Atomic Mass: 39.948(1)
- Electron Configuration: [Ne] 3s2 3p6
- Group: group 18, p-block, noble gas
Potassium
- Potassium is a reactive, silvery solid metal.
- Atomic Number: 19
- Symbol: K
- Atomic Mass: 39.0983(1)
- Electron Configuration: [Ar] 4s1
- Group: group 1, s-block, alkali metal
Calcium
- Calcium is a dull silver solid metal with a faint yellowish cast.
- Atomic Number: 20
- Symbol: Ca
- Atomic Mass: 40.078(4)
- Electron Configuration: [Ar] 4s2
- Group: group 2, s-block, alkaline earth metal
References
- Ball, P. (2004). The Elements: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-284099-8.
- Emsley, J. (2003). Nature’s Building Blocks: An A–Z Guide to the Elements. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-850340-8.
- Gray, T. (2009). The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe. Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers Inc. ISBN 978-1-57912-814-2.
- IUPAC (1997). “Chemical Element.” Compendium of Chemical Terminology (2nd ed.). doi:10.1351/goldbook.C01022