Editing Trivial name (section)

{{Short description|Nonsystematic name for a chemical substance}}
{{About|chemicals' informal names|the specific epithet (biology)|Binomial nomenclature#trivial name{{!}}Binomial nomenclature}}

[[File:Mercury by Hendrick Goltzius.jpg|thumb|upright|The element [[mercury (element)|mercury]] was named after [[Mercury (god)|the Roman god]] of the same name (painting by [[Hendrik Goltzius]]).]]

In [[chemistry]], a '''trivial name''' is a non-[[systematic name]] for a [[chemical substance]]. That is, the name is not recognized according to the rules of any formal system of [[chemical nomenclature]] such as [[IUPAC nomenclature of inorganic chemistry|IUPAC inorganic]] or [[IUPAC nomenclature of organic chemistry|IUPAC organic]] nomenclature. A trivial name is not a [[chemical nomenclature|formal name]] and is usually a [[common name]].

Generally, trivial names are not useful in describing the essential properties of the thing being named. Properties such as the molecular structure of a chemical compound are not indicated. And, in some cases, trivial names can be ambiguous or will carry different meanings in different industries or in different geographic regions (for example, a trivial name such as ''[[white metal]]'' can mean various things). Trivial names are simpler. As a result, a limited number of trivial chemical names are [[retained name]]s, an accepted part of the nomenclature.

Trivial names often arise in the common language; they may come from historic usages in, for example, [[alchemy]]. Many trivial names pre-date the institution of formal naming conventions. Names can be based on a property of the chemical, including appearance (color, taste or smell), consistency, and crystal structure; a place where it was found or where the discoverer comes from; the name of a scientist; a mythological figure; an astronomical body; the shape of the molecule; and even fictional figures. All elements that have been isolated have trivial names.