Science & Engineering Abbreviations

808 abbreviations in 11 subcategories

Chemical element symbols and abbreviations from chemistry, biology, genetics, physics, astronomy, earth science, energy, engineering and electronics. Scientific abbreviations are often standardized by bodies such as IUPAC, so the same short form is understood in laboratories worldwide.

• Chemistry
• Chemical Element
• Electronics & Electrical
• Engineering
• Astronomy & Space
• Biology
• Energy
• Physics
• Psychology
• Environmental
• Genetics

Chemistry Abbreviations

Abbreviations used in chemistry laboratories, journals, safety documents and industry: analytical techniques such as NMR, HPLC and GC-MS, standard conditions and concentration notation, common solvents and reagents, plastics and polymers, and well-known compounds and pollutants. Nomenclature and symbols are standardized by IUPAC, while shorthand such as THF, DMSO or EtOAc is a long-standing convention of the laboratory. Element symbols such as Na or Fe have their own list.

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Chemical Element Abbreviations

The one- and two-letter symbols for all 118 chemical elements, as standardized by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). A symbol always starts with a capital letter, and any second letter is lowercase, so Co is cobalt while CO is carbon monoxide. Several symbols come from Latin, Greek or German names, such as Fe for ferrum (iron), Na for natrium (sodium) and W for wolfram (tungsten). Each entry gives the atomic number, the element's place in the periodic table, a notable property or use and the origin of its name and symbol.

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Electronics & Electrical Abbreviations

Abbreviations from electronics and electrical engineering: types of current and power (AC, DC, RMS), components and semiconductors (IC, LED, MOSFET, IGBT), displays (LCD, OLED), digital logic and programmable chips (CMOS, FPGA, MCU), circuit boards and assembly (PCB, SMT), interfaces and buses (SPI, I2C, UART), radio and signal terms (AM, FM, SNR), test equipment and electrical safety devices and codes (GFCI, RCD, NEC, AWG). Units such as volt, ampere and ohm are listed with measurement abbreviations.

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Engineering Abbreviations

Abbreviations used in mechanical, civil, industrial, manufacturing and process engineering: design and simulation software (CAD, CAM, FEA, CFD), industrial automation (PLC, SCADA, HMI), building services (HVAC, MEP, BIM), drawings and documentation (P&ID, GD&T, BOM, ECO), quality, safety and reliability (FMEA, SPC, MTBF, LOTO), welding and inspection, materials and fasteners, and professional licensing. Many are defined in standards from bodies such as ASME, ASTM, ISO and IEC; electronics terms such as PCB or LED are listed separately.

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Astronomy & Space Abbreviations

Abbreviations from astronomy, astrophysics and spaceflight: distance units such as AU, ly and pc, cosmology terms (CMB, dark matter, LCDM), classes of objects (AGN, NEO, KBO), telescopes and missions (JWST, HST, ALMA, TESS), orbits (LEO, GEO), space agencies and observatories, and the vocabulary of launches and spacewalks. Several, such as SETI, UFO and UAP, also appear regularly in general news coverage.

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Biology Abbreviations

Abbreviations from molecular biology, biochemistry, cell biology, microbiology, ecology and evolution: the nucleic acids and energy carriers of the cell (DNA, RNA, ATP), everyday laboratory techniques (PCR, ELISA, SDS-PAGE, FACS), common reagents and cell lines, and taxonomic shorthand such as sp. and spp. Most are used identically in research papers worldwide; gene- and genome-level terms such as SNP or GWAS are listed under genetics.

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Energy Abbreviations

Abbreviations from electricity generation and grids, renewable energy, fuels, batteries, electric vehicles and nuclear power: vehicle types (EV, PHEV, FCEV) and charging standards (CCS, NACS), solar terms (PV, CSP, MPPT), fuels (LNG, LPG, SAF, E85), battery chemistries and metrics (LFP, NMC, SoC), power plant and reactor types (CCGT, PWR, SMR) and electricity market terms (PPA, LCOE, REC). Units such as kWh, MW or BTU are listed with measurement abbreviations.

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Physics Abbreviations

Abbreviations from physics: bands of the electromagnetic spectrum (UV, IR, RF, VHF), the major theories (general relativity, quantum mechanics, QED, the Standard Model), particle and fusion research facilities and experiments (CERN, LHC, LIGO, ITER), optics and microscopy, and the symbols for fundamental constants such as c, G and h. Units of measurement such as eV, Hz or tesla are listed separately with measurement abbreviations.

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Psychology Abbreviations

Abbreviations from psychological science and testing: intelligence and its measurement (IQ, g, WAIS, WISC), personality models and inventories (OCEAN, MBTI, MMPI), rating scales widely used in research (BDI, PHQ-9), memory and learning (STM, WM, ZPD, classical conditioning terms), research methods and statistics (IV, DV, IRT, SEM), social and motivational theories, and evidence-based psychotherapies (CBT, DBT, ACT). Diagnoses such as ADHD or PTSD are listed with medical abbreviations, and test scores should always be interpreted by qualified professionals.

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Environmental Abbreviations

Abbreviations from climate science, air and water quality, environmental law and sustainability: greenhouse gas accounting (GHG, CO2e, GWP), air pollutants and indexes (PM2.5, NOx, AQI), water-quality measures (BOD, DO, TDS), climate negotiations (IPCC, UNFCCC, COP, NDC), carbon removal (CCS, DAC), environmental assessment and green building (EIA, LCA, LEED) and conservation status categories. Chemical pollutants such as PFAS, VOCs and CFCs are covered under chemistry, and US laws are described as they apply today.

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Genetics Abbreviations

Abbreviations from genetics, genomics, gene regulation and genetic genealogy: types of DNA and RNA (cDNA, mtDNA, siRNA, miRNA), sequencing methods (NGS, WGS, RNA-seq), kinds of genetic variation (SNP, CNV, indel), population and statistical genetics (GWAS, LD, QTL) and genome-editing terms. Units such as bp, kb and cM describe DNA length and genetic distance. Core molecules and lab methods such as DNA, RNA, PCR and CRISPR are listed under biology.

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Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.