Here you’ll find 12 Chemical Elements that start with C, organized from “Cadmium” to “Curium”. These elements include metals, a noble gas, and a metalloid, used in batteries, pigments, medicine, and reactors. See the A–Z index for other letters.
[Chemical Elements that start with C] are the set of periodic table elements whose names begin with C. Carbon underpins organic chemistry, and ancient cultures used charcoal long before modern chemistry.
Below you’ll find the table with atomic number, atomic weight, and discovery year.
Element: The element name shows you the standard English name, helping you identify and cross-reference each entry quickly.
Atomic number: Atomic number gives you the number of protons, which orders elements and links to periodic trends you may study.
Atomic weight: Atomic weight lists the standard atomic weight with three decimals so you can compare relative masses accurately.
Discovery year: Discovery year notes when the element was discovered or first reported, giving historical context for your research or study.
Chemical Elements that start with C
| Element Name | Atomic Number | Standard Atomic Weight | Discovery Year | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carbon | 6 | 12.011 | Antiquity | Natural nonmetal essential to life; forms countless organic compounds, used in steelmaking, fuels and graphite; name from Latin “carbo” (coal). |
| Calcium | 20 | 40.078 | 1808 | Reactive alkaline earth metal abundant in bones and minerals; used in cement, metallurgy and alloys. Isolated by Humphry Davy; name from Latin “calx” (lime). |
| Cadmium | 48 | 112.414 | 1817 | Soft, toxic transition metal found with zinc ores; used in batteries, electroplating and pigments. Discovered by Friedrich Stromeyer; naturally occurring in trace amounts. |
| Californium | 98 | varies | 1950 | Synthetic radioactive actinide first made in 1950; used as a neutron source in research and industry. Named for California; no stable isotopes. |
| Cerium | 58 | 140.116 | 1803 | Light rare-earth metal used in catalytic converters, glass polishing and alloys. Named after the dwarf planet Ceres; occurs naturally in rare-earth minerals. |
| Chlorine | 17 | 35.453 | 1774 | Reactive halogen (greenish-yellow gas) used in disinfectants, PVC and bleaching. Discovered by Scheele; name from Greek “chloros” (greenish). Found as compounds in nature. |
| Chromium | 24 | 51.996 | 1797 | Hard, corrosion-resistant transition metal used in stainless steel, plating and pigments. Named from Greek “chroma” (color) for its colorful compounds. Natural. |
| Cobalt | 27 | 58.933 | 1735 | Magnetic transition metal used in alloys, batteries and pigments; named from German “kobold” (goblin) by miners. Naturally occurring. |
| Copernicium | 112 | varies | 1996 | Synthetic, very short-lived transactinide first made in 1996; named for Nicolaus Copernicus. No stable isotopes, produced only in research labs. |
| Copper | 29 | 63.546 | Antiquity | Ductile, conductive metal used in wiring, plumbing and coins since ancient times; name from Latin “cuprum”. Naturally occurring and widely used. |
| Curium | 96 | varies | 1944 | Synthetic radioactive actinide named for Marie and Pierre Curie; used in research and as a heat source in specialized applications. No stable isotopes. |
| Caesium | 55 | 132.905 | 1860 | Soft, highly reactive alkali metal used in atomic clocks and vacuum tubes; discovered by Bunsen and Kirchhoff. Name from Latin “caesius” (sky-blue); naturally rare. |