lead
鉛 centers on the heavy, soft metal lead. Its meaning is straightforward and specific to this element.
鉛 combines 金 (metal) with a phonetic component that historically contributed the sound エン. The right side is a simplified form whose exact origin is uncertain.
The metal 金 on the left and the heavy-looking right side suggest a dense, weighty metal: lead.
For エン, imagine a lead weight at the end of a fishing line: the end weight cues エン, and it's made of heavy lead.
(wooden) pencil
lead (Pb)
zinc (Zn)
colored pencil; coloured pencil
graphite
upright; vertical; perpendicular
lead pipe
lead azide
uranium-lead method
lead chromate (PbCrO4)
zinc selenide
altaite
lead arsenate
wulfenite (PbMoO4)
lead monoxide; lead(II) oxide
lead dioxide; lead(IV) oxide
galvanized sheet iron
zinc poisoning
photoengraving
zinc alloy