Ytterbium (Yb)
Silvery metallic element of the lanthanoids. Seven natural isotopes and ten artificial isotopes are known. Used in certain steels. Discovered by J.D.G. Marignac in 1878.
| Atomic Number | 70 |
|---|---|
| Atomic Weight | 173.045 |
| Mass Number | 174 |
| Group | |
|---|---|
| Period | 6 |
| Block | f |
| Protons | 70 p+ |
|---|---|
| Neutrons | 104 n0 |
| Electrons | 70 e- |
Properties
| Atomic Radius | 175 pm
|
|---|---|
| Atomic Volume | 24.8 cm³/mol
|
| Covalent Radius | 170 pm
|
| Metallic Radius | |
| Ionic Radius | 102 pm
|
| Crystal Radius | 115.99999999999999 pm
|
| Van der Waals radius |
225.99999999999997 pm
|
| Density | 6.9 g/cm³
|
| Boiling Point | 1,466 K
|
| Melting Point | 1,097 K
|
| Electrons per shell | 2, 8, 18, 32, 8, 2 |
| Electronegativity | |
| Electrophilicity | 0.7743018767771 eV/particle
|
| Proton Affinity | |
| Electron Affinity | -0.02 eV/particle
|
| Ionization Potential | 6.25416 eV/particle
|
| Heat of Vaporization | 159 kJ/mol
|
| Heat of Fusion | 3.35 kJ/mol
|
| Heat of Formation | 155.6 kJ/mol
|
| Molar Heat Capacity | 26.74 J/(mol K)
|
| Specific Heat Capacity | 0.155 J/(g⋅K)
|
| Thermal Conductivity | |
| Gas Basicity | |
| Dipole Polarizability | 139 a₀
|
| C6 Dispersion Coefficient | |
| Oxidation States | 2, 3 |
| Color | Silver
|
| Crystal Structure | Face Centered Cubic (FCC) |
| Lattice Constant | 5.49 Å
|
| Bulk Modulus | |
| Electrical Resistivity | |
| Electron Configuration | [Xe] 4f14 6s2 |
| Magnetic Ordering | |
| Magnetic Susceptibility | |
| Phase | Solid |
| Poisson Ratio | |
| Shear Modulus | |
| Young's Modulus | |
| Allotropes | |
| Alternate Names | |
| Adiabatic Index | |
| Appearance | |
| Electric Conductivity | |
| Critical Pressure | |
| Critical Temperature | |
| Curie Point | |
| Electrical | |
| Hardness | |
| Magnetic Susceptibility | |
| Magnetic | |
| Neel Point | |
| Neutron Cross Section | |
| Neutron Mass Absorption | |
| Gas Phase | |
| Quantum Numbers | |
| Refractive Index | |
| Space Group | |
| Speed of Sound | |
| Superconducting Point | |
| Thermal Expansion | |
| Valence Electrons | |
| Classification | |
| Category | Lanthanides, Lanthanides |
| CAS Group | |
| IUPAC Group | |
| Glawe Number | 18 |
| Mendeleev Number | 39 |
| Pettifor Number | 17 |
| Geochemical Class | rare earth & related |
| Goldschmidt Class | litophile |
| Radioactivity | |
| Radioactive | No |
| Decay Mode | |
| Half-Life | |
| Lifetime | |
| Abundance | |
| Abundance in Earth's crust | 3.2 mg/kg
|
| Abundance in Oceans | 0.00000082 mg/L
|
| Abundance in Human Body | |
| Abundance in Meteor | |
| Abundance in Sun | |
| Abundance in Universe | 2×10-7% |
Isotopes of Ytterbium
Stable Isotopes
168Yb 170Yb 171Yb 172Yb 173Yb 174Yb 176Yb
Unstable Isotopes
148Yb 149Yb 150Yb 151Yb 152Yb 153Yb 154Yb 155Yb 156Yb 157Yb 158Yb 159Yb 160Yb 161Yb 162Yb 163Yb 164Yb 165Yb 166Yb 167Yb 169Yb 175Yb 177Yb 178Yb 179Yb 180Yb 181Yb
History
Ytterbium was discovered by the Swiss chemist Jean Charles Galissard de Marignac in the year 1878. In 1907, in Paris, George Urbain separated ytterbia into two constituents. Ytterbium metal was first made in 1937 by Klemm and Bonner by heating ytterbium chloride and potassium together. A relatively pure sample of the metal was obtained only in 1953. Ytterbium was named after Ytterby, a town in Sweden
| Discoverers | Jean de Marignac |
|---|---|
| Discovery Location | Switzerland |
| Discovery Year | 1878 |
| Name Origin | Named for the Swedish village of Ytterby. |
Ytterbium is considered to be moderately toxic
Ytterbium is recovered commercially from monazite sand
Uses
Ytterbium fiber laser amplifiers are used in marking and engraving. Ytterbium compounds are also used as catalysts in the organic chemical industry. Ytterbium can be used as a dopant to help improve the grain refinement, strength, and other mechanical properties of stainless steel. Used in metallurgical and chemical experiments.
Sources
Found in minerals such as yttria, monazite, gadolinite, and xenotime. Monazite is often 50% rare earth by weight and typically 0.03% ytterbium.