Mnemonic Devices for the Periodic Table

Mnemonic Device: The Periodic Table of Elements (contributors include Bob Gayhart and Dean Campbell)

Group 1A (H, Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Fr)

• Highly Nasty Kids Rub Cats Fur
• Hans liebt Natuerliche Kaese reibt (ueber) (c)zentralsued Frankreich. (mnemonic in German)

Group 2A (Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Ra)

• Bearded Muggers Came Straight Back Rapidly.
• Beer Mugs Can Serve Bar Rats.

Group 3 (B, Al, Ga, In, Tl)

• Big Al Garner’s In Trouble.
• Big Al Gave In Tulsa.
• Big Al Gave Incomplete Totals.
• Big Al Gave Innocent Toys.
• Bob Allen Gave Indians Tennis Lessons.
• Bears Always Give Indians Trouble.

Group 4A (C, Si, Ge, Sn, Pb)

• Can Silly Germans Snatch Lead?
• Conniving Sisters Get Snotty Playboys.
• Can Si Get Snockered at the Pub?

Group 5 (N, P, As, Sb, Bi)

• New Popes Assign Subordinate Bishops.
• Never Put Arsenic in SilverBullet Beer.

Group 6A (O, S, Se, Te, Po)

• Oil is Slicker with STP.
• Old Soldiers Seem Terribly Polluted.
• Oversized Sailors Sell and Tell about Polo cologne.
• Oh, She Sells The Poles.

Group 7A (F, Cl, Br, I, At)

• Frank Cleverly Brought Indian Attire.
• Fairy Clowns Broil Innocent Ants.
• Fat Clyde Bribed Innocent Arthur.
• “Floor Cleaner Broken?” I Asked.

Group 8A (He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe, Rn)

• He Never Arrived; Karen eXited with Ron.
• He Needs OUR Crazy Xerox RepairmaN.

First Row Transition Metals (Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn)

• ST. Vincent Cried, “Mommy!” Feeling Cold Next to Cold Zombies.
• Scott Tips Very Counterfeit Money, Feels Cold Near Cubic Zircons.
• Scary Tiny Vicious Creatures Mean Females Come Nightly to Club Z.
• Scotty Vickerman Fee Cony Cousin.
• Scott Tickled Vanna’s Cranium, Manager Fred Could Not Cut In.

Second Row Transition Metals (Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Cd)

• Yes, Sir Nob. Most Technicians Rub Rod’s Pale Silver Cadillac.

Third Row Transition Metals (La, Hf, Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir, Pt, Au, Hg)

• Larry’s Half Taken, Wendy Reached Out Her Plate Audibly, Helga.

Lanthanides (Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu)

• Caesar Procrastinated at the Nile, Permitting So Many Europeans (who were) Getting Turbid (and) Dying (of) Home Urges [Erges] To Yell “Lutetium!”
• Cecil Proudly Named Pam, Sam, (and) Eugene. Good Tobin Dyes Hosiery Early Tomorrow Yellow-bLUe.

Actinides (Th, Pa, U, Np, Pu, Am, Cm, Bk, Cf, Es, Fm, Md, No, Lr)

• Three Planets: Uranus, Neptune, (and) Pluto. Amy Cured Berkeley, California. Einstein (and) Fermi Made Noble Laws.