Alchemists in the Middle Ages first introduced symbols for elements, which influenced modern chemists' use of symbols for convenience. Jons Jacob Berzelius invented the current system of chemical symbols. Elements' symbols are derived from their names in Latin, English, or the scientists who discovered them. Henry Moseley's work with X-ray spectra showed that atomic number, not mass, determines an element's position in the periodic table. This led to restating the periodic law in terms of atomic number and the modern form of the periodic table.