Ytterbium
| Symbol | Yb |
| Atomic Number | 70 |
| Atomic Mass | 173.045 |
| Discovered by | Ytterbium was discovered by Jean Charles Galissard de Marignac |
Chemical Properties of Ytterbium
| Group | Lanthanides | Melting point | 824°C, 1515°F, 1097 K |
| Period | 6 | Boiling point | 1196°C, 2185°F, 1469 K |
| Block | f | Density (g cm−3) | 6.90 |
| Atomic number | 70 | Relative atomic mass | 173.045 |
| State at 20°C | Solid | Key isotopes | 172Yb, 173Yb, 174Yb |
| Electron configuration | [Xe] 4f14 6s2 | CAS number | 7440-64-4 |
| ChemSpider ID | 22428 | ChemSpider is a free chemical database | |
What is Ytterbium?
- Ytterbium is an element of the periodic table with an atomic number of 70, discovered by Jean de Marignac in the year 1878. The element is named after Ytterby, Sweden.
- It is a white silvery, soft, ductile and rare earth metal.
- It is attacked by the strong acids and reacts slowly with cold water and air. The oxide forms a protective layer on the surface when reacted or oxidized in air.
- Physical properties of Ytterbium differ widely when compared to other elements.
- Usually, elements will have ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic properties at low temperatures but it is paramagnetic at a temperature of 0.1 Kelvin.
Uses of Ytterbium
- Ytterbium clocks are the World’s most stable atomic clock. Numerous atoms present in the element made the clock more stable.
- It is used as a doping agent to improve the strength, grain refinement and mechanical properties of stainless steel.
- It also acts as an industrial catalyst.
- Few alloys of Ytterbium are used in dentistry.
- Ytterbium, a silvery white metal is electropositive which reacts with water to form ytterbium hydroxide.
- Nowadays, this is element is used in the making of memory devices and tunable lasers.
