Ace the KS3 General Knowledge Quiz 2025 – Unlock Your Brainpower!

Gold is represented by the chemical symbol Au, which is derived from the Latin word "aurum," meaning "shining dawn." This historical context gives us insight into why Au is used instead of an abbreviation based on its English name. Each element on the periodic table is given a unique one- or two-letter symbol, and understanding the origin of these symbols can sometimes aid in learning them. The other symbols represent different elements: Ag stands for silver (from "argentum" in Latin), Pb stands for lead (from "plumbum"), and Hg is the symbol for mercury (from "hydrargyrum"). Hence, Au is the correct representation for Gold in chemical notation.