In Honors Chemistry, we were discussing electron configuration and how for example, Au+ (cation of Gold), has a smaller radius than Ir (Iridium parent atom). While the answer is because of Coulomb's law attraction, a student in my class asked Mr. Abronowitz why the atomic symbol for Gold is Au. Mr. Abronowitz, in response, asked the rest of the class to stand up if they took Latin. Five students rose slowly and Mr. Abronowitz chose another student to answer, however, I already knew that Au comes from the Latin word for gold, Aurum. I was able to understand this because of Mr. Stewart's Latin class in 8th grade, in which aurum was a vocabulary word that appeared regularly on quizzes, tests, and a vocabulary game known as "Seats!". I felt quite knowledgeable and superior to the other students in the class knowing and I expected more interesting connections to Latin in this class, making me feel at a slight advantage in comparison to my classmates.
Arjun Kantamsetty
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