My chemistry teacher marked my answer wrong for spelling the element represented by S as "sulphur" over "sulfur."

I wrote this to the teacher on Edmodo. Clearly, you're not a scholarly individual, and your sarcasm is greatly unappreciated. I should not be losing points where I was technically correct.

Mrs. Ferguson, I still think I should not have lost a point on the quiz for spelling it "sulphur." I learned much of my Periodic Table when I was in 4th grade and schooled in Australia--particularly familiarizing myself with sulfur/sulphur due to visiting various peculiar-smelling parks there. Taking off a point for spelling it "sulphur" would be like taking off a point for spelling it "flavour" instead of "flavor." While "sulfur" is more standardized, many foreign schools--particularly in British and Australian schools--use "sulphur" over "sulfur." Because I use both interchangeably, and since both are acceptable spellings, I wasn't sure which one I had to put down. And I don't think it's fair that I'd have to study *your* list of spellings when I already know most of them by heart (since 7th grade), simply because you've used primarily American texts and are unfamiliar with alternate spellings. As a student that respects the power of proof and reason, if I feel as if I have been unfairly marked down, I shall challenge the decision. One point may not be much, but this could very well rack up over the quarter, and I do not appreciate being unfairly marked down for a purely dialectical reasons. This is a chemistry class, not an English class, for one--and even in an English class, a teacher would not ethically mark off if a student used an alternate spelling of the word. This has been bugging me the entire day, as "sulphur" is a true alternate spelling of "sulfur."

From Wikipedia's List of American and British Spelling Differences:

Sulfur is the preferred spelling by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) and by the UK's Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC).[173] Sulphur is used by British and Irish scientists, and it is actively taught in British and Irish schools. It prevails in Canada and Australia, and it is also found in some American place names (e.g. Sulphur, Louisiana and White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia). American English usage guides suggest sulfur for technical usage, and both sulfur and sulphur in common usage and in literature.[174][175] The variation between f and ph spellings is also found in the word's ultimate source: Latin sulfur, sulphur.[176]

A true scientist would not mark off points over a dialectal difference--especially when it comes to spelling. I clearly knew what element was in question, and I spelled it using one of the two dialectal variations around the world. If you went to an Australian or a British school, using your method of logic, you'd have gotten marked off for spelling it "sulfur" instead of "sulphur." I do think that, from a scientific perspective, if I'm able to logically argue my choice of terminology or spelling, I should not be marked off for it. It isn't simply about this one point I'm trying to earn back. It's about future points that I may lose for similar reasons. When it comes to the elements, the only dialectal difference I know about is sulfur/sulphur, so I do not refer to this in terms of element quizzes specifically. I'm talking about in general. And just to let you know, if I feel as if I was unfairly marked off, I will always use logic to justify my answer. And here, I feel as if the Sulphur/Sulfur spelling differences is not a good enough reason for you to have marked off on my test.

I just thought I'd let you know that.
Thank you for understanding.
--
Fractal