Atom Symbol (⚛)

The atom symbol ⚛ is Unicode U+269B, the classic orbital drawing of an atom. Press Copy to put it on your clipboard.

Unicode
U+269B
HTML
⚛
Word
269B Alt+X

How to type the atom symbol (⚛)

The quickest way is to press Copy above and paste. To type ⚛ yourself, use the method for your device below.

Windows

  1. In Word or Outlook, type 269B and press Alt + X. Alt + X converts the hex code before the cursor into the character, and back again.
  2. Press Win + . to open the emoji panel, then search for “atom”.

Mac

  1. Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search for atom and double-click it.
  2. With the Unicode Hex Input keyboard enabled (System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources), hold Option and type 269B.

Linux & ChromeOS

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 269b, then press Enter or Space. Works in GTK and IBus apps (GNOME, Firefox, Chrome, LibreOffice) and on ChromeOS.

iPhone & iPad

  1. Open the emoji keyboard and search for “atom” to insert ⚛️, the colour emoji. For the plain text ⚛, copy it from this page.
  2. Copy ⚛ from this page, then go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement and add it with a shortcut such as ;atom. The shortcut then turns into the symbol as you type, in every app.

Android

  1. In Gboard, tap the emoji key and search for “atom” to insert ⚛️. For the plain text ⚛, copy it from this page.
  2. Copy ⚛ here, then open Gboard settings → Dictionary → Personal dictionary and add it with a shortcut.

Microsoft Word

  1. Type 269B, then press Alt + X.
  2. Insert → Symbol → More Symbols. Set “from” to Unicode (hex), type 269B in “Character code” and click Insert.

Google Docs

  1. Insert → Special characters, then search for “atom” or draw it in the box.

Excel & Google Sheets

  1. Enter =UNICHAR(9883) in a cell. It works in Excel 2013 and later and in Google Sheets.

HTML

  1. Write ⚛ or ⚛ in your HTML.

What does ⚛ mean?

⚛ draws an atom the way early 20th-century physics pictured it: electrons circling a nucleus on elliptical orbits, the Rutherford–Bohr model. Real atoms do not look like this, but the image became shorthand for science, physics and atomic energy. You will see it on science-fair posters, in chemistry notes and as an icon for “science” categories.

Common uses

  • Science and physics headings: ⚛ Physics club
  • Tech and science bios
  • Nuclear energy topics

Atom Symbol codes for HTML, CSS and programming

Every code below produces ⚛. Use the HTML entity in web pages, the CSS escape in content, and the escape sequence in source code.

Codes for ⚛
Unicode code pointU+269B
HTML decimal⚛
HTML hex⚛
CSS contentcontent: "\269B";
JavaScript"\u269B"
Python"\u269B"
Python (by name)"\N{ATOM SYMBOL}"
Java / C#"\u269B"
UTF-8 bytesE2 9A 9B
UTF-16269B
URL encoded%E2%9A%9B

⚛ vs look-alike characters

These characters look similar to ⚛ but have a different meaning and code. Pasting the wrong one can break search, sorting and screen readers.

CharNameWhen to use it
Radioactive
U+2622
Radioactive sign, a hazard warning rather than a science symbol.
Microscope
U+1F52C
Microscope emoji, for biology and lab work.
Atom symbol
U+269B U+FE0F
The emoji form, drawn in colour.

Symbols similar to ⚛

Click to copy, or open a symbol for its codes. See the full technical symbols collection.

  • Atom symbol Details
  • Radioactive Details
  • Power Symbol Details
  • Diameter Details

⚛ character properties

Official Unicode name
ATOM SYMBOL
Also known as
atomic symbol, science symbol, nuclear atom
Code point
U+269B
Unicode block
Miscellaneous Symbols (U+2600–U+26FF)
General category
Other symbol (So)
Added in
Unicode 4.1 (2005)
Plane
Basic Multilingual Plane (0)
Emoji
Has an emoji form: ⚛️ (add U+FE0F)

Frequently asked questions

What does the ⚛ symbol mean?

It represents an atom, drawn in the old planetary model, and is used as a general symbol for science, physics and atomic energy.

Is there an alt code for the atom symbol?

No. ⚛ is outside the Windows-1252 and code page 437 character sets, so no Alt + number code produces it. Copy it from this page, type 269B then Alt + X in Word, or find it in Character Map.

How do I type the atom symbol on a Mac?

There is no single Option shortcut for ⚛ on the US layout. Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search for “atom” and double-click it, or copy it from this page.

What is the HTML code for the atom symbol?

⚛ has no named HTML entity. Use the numeric reference ⚛ or ⚛, or paste the character directly into a UTF-8 page.

What is the Unicode for the atom symbol?

⚛ is U+269B, officially named ATOM SYMBOL, in the Miscellaneous Symbols block. It has been part of Unicode since version 4.1 (2005).