Yb
Ytterbium
Element 70 · Lanthanide
Ytterbium (Yb)
Ytterbium is a soft, silvery rare-earth metal. Ytterbium atomic clocks are among the most precise ever built.
- Lanthanide
- Period 6
- f-block series
- f-block
- solid at room temperature
Key properties
- Atomic mass
- 173.05
- u
- Electron configuration
- [Xe] 4f14 6s2
- Melting point
- 818.9 °C
- 1,092 K
- Boiling point
- 1,195.9 °C
- 1,469 K
- Density
- 6.9 g/cm³
- Electronegativity
- 1.1
- Pauling
- Atomic radius
- 242 pm
- van der Waals
- 1st ionisation energy
- 6.254 eV
Compare with every element:Electronegativity chartAtomic radius chartIonisation energy chartDensity chart of the elementsMelting point chartElectron configuration chart
Did you know?
Notable facts about ytterbium
- 01
Experimental ytterbium clocks would lose less than a second over the age of the universe.
- 02
Ytterbium is used to dope fibre lasers for industrial cutting.
- 03
Its electrical resistance changes under stress, so it is used in earthquake and blast gauges.
Applications
What is ytterbium used for?
- Atomic clocks
- Fibre lasers
- Stress gauges
- Stainless steel improvement
History
Discovery & name origin
Discovered by
Year
Where
Switzerland
Name origin
From Ytterby, Sweden.
Atomic structure
Atomic properties
Atomic structure
Atomic properties
- Atomic number
- 70
- Atomic mass
- 173.05 u
- Group
- Lanthanides (3)
- Period
- 6
- Block
- f-block
- Electron configuration
- [Xe] 4f14 6s2
- Full configuration
- 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d10 4p6 5s2 4d10 5p6 6s2 4f14
- Electrons per shell
- 2, 8, 18, 32, 8, 2
- Electronegativity (Pauling)
- 1.1
- Electron affinity
- —
- Atomic radius (van der Waals)
- 242 pm
- Stable isotopes
- 7
Oxidation states
Highlighted: common oxidation states (+3, +2).
Successive ionisation energies
Energy to remove each electron in turn (kJ/mol). Big jumps show where a new, inner shell begins.
- 1st603.4
- 2nd1,174.8
- 3rd2,417
- 4th4,203
Physical
Physical properties & colour
Physical
Physical properties & colour
- State at 20 °C
- Solid
- Melting point
- 1,092 K · 818.9 °C · 1,505.9 °F
- Boiling point
- 1,469 K · 1,195.9 °C · 2,184.5 °F
- Density
- 6.9 g/cm³
- Molar heat capacity
- 26.74 J/(mol·K)
- Appearance
- —
- CPK model colour
- Copied
The CPK colour is the convention used for this element’s atoms in molecular models.
FAQ
Ytterbium questions
What is Yb on the periodic table?
Yb is the symbol for ytterbium, element 70 on the periodic table. It sits in period 6, in the f-block, in the lanthanide category, and has an atomic mass of 173.05.
What is the atomic number of ytterbium?
Ytterbium has atomic number 70, so every ytterbium atom has 70 protons in its nucleus. Its symbol is Yb and its atomic mass is 173.05.
Who discovered ytterbium?
Ytterbium was discovered by Jean Charles Galissard de Marignac in 1878 (Switzerland). The name comes from from Ytterby, Sweden.
What is ytterbium used for?
Ytterbium is used for: atomic clocks; fibre lasers; stress gauges; stainless steel improvement.
Is ytterbium a metal?
Yes. Ytterbium is a lanthanide, one of the metallic elements.
What is the electron configuration of ytterbium?
The electron configuration of ytterbium is [Xe] 4f14 6s2. Its 70 electrons are arranged in shells as 2, 8, 18, 32, 8, 2.