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Yb Ytterbium
Element Information, Facts, Properties, Trends, Uses, Comparison with other elements

70
Yb
Ytterbium
Element 70 of Periodic table is Ytterbium with atomic number 70, atomic weight 173.04. Ytterbium, symbol Yb, has a Face Centered Cubic structure and Silver color. Ytterbium is a Lanthanide element. It is part of group null (). Know everything about Ytterbium Facts, Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, Electronic configuration, Atomic and Crystal Structure.
70 Yb - Ytterbium | SchoolMyKids

Ytterbium is a chemical element with symbol Yb and atomic number 70. It is the fourteenth and penultimate element in the Lanthanide series, which is the basis of the relative stability of its +2 oxidation state. However, like the other lanthanides, its most common oxidation state is +3, seen in its oxide, halides and other compounds.

It belongs to group null of the periodic table having trivial name . You can also download Printable Periodic Table of Elements Flashcards for Ytterbium in a PDF format.

Ytterbium Facts

Read key information and facts about element Ytterbium

NameYtterbium
Atomic Number70
Atomic SymbolYb
Atomic Weight173.04
PhaseSolid
ColorSilver
Appearance-
ClassificationLanthanide
Natural OccurancePrimordial
Group in Periodic Table-
Group Name
Period in Periodic Tableperiod 6
Block in Periodic Tablef-block
Electronic Configuration[Xe] 4f14 6s2
Electronic Shell Structure (Electrons per shell)2, 8, 18, 32, 8, 2
Melting Point1092 K
Boiling Point1469 K
CAS NumberCAS7440-64-4
Neighborhood Elements
123456789101112131415161718
1
1
H
Hydrogen
1.008

Atomic #

Electronic Shell #

Symbol
Name
Atomic Weight
HGas
HgLiquid
CSolid
Metals
Metalloids
NonMetals
Alkali metals
Alkali earth metals
Lanthanoids
Transition metals
Post-transition metals
Other nonmetals
Halogens
Nobel gas
Actinoids
2
He
Helium
4.003
2
3
Li
Lithium
6.941
4
Be
Beryllium
9.012
5
B
Boron
10.811
6
C
Carbon
12.011
7
N
Nitrogen
14.007
8
O
Oxygen
15.999
9
F
Fluorine
18.998
10
Ne
Neon
20.180
3
11
Na
Sodium
22.990
12
Mg
Magnesium
24.305
13
Al
Aluminium
26.982
14
Si
Silicon
28.085
15
P
Phosphorus
30.974
16
S
Sulfur
32.065
17
Cl
Chlorine
35.453
18
Ar
Argon
39.948
4
19
K
Potassium
39.098
20
Ca
Calcium
40.078
21
Sc
Scandium
44.956
22
Ti
Titanium
47.867
23
V
Vanadium
50.941
24
Cr
Chromium
51.996
25
Mn
Manganese
54.938
26
Fe
Iron
55.845
27
Co
Cobalt
58.933
28
Ni
Nickel
58.693
29
Cu
Copper
63.546
30
Zn
Zinc
65.409
31
Ga
Gallium
69.723
32
Ge
Germanium
72.640
33
As
Arsenic
74.922
34
Se
Selenium
78.960
35
Br
Bromine
79.904
36
Kr
Krypton
83.798
5
37
Rb
Rubidium
85.468
38
Sr
Strontium
87.620
39
Y
Yttrium
88.906
40
Zr
Zirconium
91.224
41
Nb
Niobium
92.906
42
Mo
Molybdenum
95.940
43
Tc
Technetium
98
44
Ru
Ruthenium
101.070
45
Rh
Rhodium
102.906
46
Pd
Palladium
106.420
47
Ag
Silver
107.868
48
Cd
Cadmium
112.411
49
In
Indium
114.818
50
Sn
Tin
118.710
51
Sb
Antimony
121.760
52
Te
Tellurium
127.600
53
I
Iodine
126.904
54
Xe
Xenon
131.293
6
55
Cs
Cesium
132.905
56
Ba
Barium
137.327
57 - 71
La - Lu
Lanthanides
72
Hf
Hafnium
178.490
73
Ta
Tantalum
180.948
74
W
Tungsten
183.840
75
Re
Rhenium
186.207
76
Os
Osmium
190.230
77
Ir
Iridium
192.217
78
Pt
Platinum
195.078
79
Au
Gold
196.967
80
Hg
Mercury
200.590
81
Tl
Thallium
204.383
82
Pb
Lead
207.200
83
Bi
Bismuth
208.980
84
Po
Polonium
209
85
At
Astatine
210
86
Rn
Radon
222
7
87
Fr
Francium
223
88
Ra
Radium
226
89 - 103
Ac - Lr
Actinides
104
Rf
Rutherfordium
261
105
Db
Dubnium
262
106
Sg
Seaborgium
266
107
Bh
Bohrium
264
108
Hs
Hassium
269
109
Mt
Meitnerium
268
110
Ds
Darmstadtium
281
111
Rg
Roentgenium
272
112
Cn
Copernicium
285
113
Nh
Nihonium
284
114
Fl
Flerovium
289
115
Mc
Moscovium
288
116
Lv
Livermorium
292
117
Ts
Tennessine
294
118
Og
Oganesson
294
Lanthanides
57
La
Lanthanum
138.905
58
Ce
Cerium
140.116
59
Pr
Praseodymium
140.908
60
Nd
Neodymium
144.240
61
Pm
Promethium
145
62
Sm
Samarium
150.360
63
Eu
Europium
151.964
64
Gd
Gadolinium
157.250
65
Tb
Terbium
158.925
66
Dy
Dysprosium
162.500
67
Ho
Holmium
164.930
68
Er
Erbium
167.259
69
Tm
Thulium
168.934
70
Yb
Ytterbium
173.040
71
Lu
Lutetium
174.967
Actinides
89
Ac
Actinium
227
90
Th
Thorium
232.038
91
Pa
Protactinium
231.036
92
U
Uranium
238.029
93
Np
Neptunium
237
94
Pu
Plutonium
244
95
Am
Americium
243
96
Cm
Curium
247
97
Bk
Berkelium
247
98
Cf
Californium
251
99
Es
Einsteinium
252
100
Fm
Fermium
257
101
Md
Mendelevium
258
102
No
Nobelium
259
103
Lr
Lawrencium
262

How to Locate Ytterbium on Periodic Table

Periodic table is arranged by atomic number, number of protons in the nucleus which is same as number of electrons. The atomic number increases from left to right. Periodic table starts at top left ( Atomic number 1) and ends at bottom right (atomic number 118). Therefore you can directly look for atomic number 70 to find Ytterbium on periodic table.

Another way to read periodic table and locate an element is by using group number (column) and period number (row). To locate Ytterbium on periodic table look for cross section of group - and period 6 in the modern periodic table.

Ytterbium History

The element Ytterbium was discovered by J.C.G. de Marignac in year 1878 in Switzerland. Ytterbium was first isolated by C. A. von Welsbach in 1906. Ytterbium derived its name from Ytterby, Sweden.

Discovered By J.C.G. de Marignac
Discovery Date 1878 in Switzerland
First Isolation 1906
Isolated by C. A. von Welsbach

On October 22, 1878, Marignac reported splitting terbia into two new earths, terbia proper and ytterbia.

Ytterbium Uses

Ytterbium is believed to be useable in grain refinement within steel. It can also be used as an industrial catalyst.

Ytterbium Presence: Abundance in Nature and Around Us

The table below shows the abundance of Ytterbium in Universe, Sun, Meteorites, Earth's Crust, Oceans and Human Body.

 ppb by weight (1ppb =10^-7 %)ppb by atoms (1ppb =10^-7 %)
Abundance in Universe20.01
Abundance in Sun10.01
Abundance in Meteorites18020
Abundance in Earth's Crust2800340
Abundance in Oceans0.00080.000029
Abundance in Humans--

Crystal Structure of Ytterbium

The solid state structure of Ytterbium is Face Centered Cubic.

The Crystal structure can be described in terms of its unit Cell. The unit Cells repeats itself in three dimensional space to form the structure.

Unit Cell Parameters

The unit cell is represented in terms of its lattice parameters, which are the lengths of the cell edges Lattice Constants (a, b and c)

abc
548.47 pm548.47 pm548.47 pm

and the angles between them Lattice Angles (alpha, beta and gamma).

alphabetagamma
π/2 π/2 π/2

The positions of the atoms inside the unit cell are described by the set of atomic positions ( xi, yi, zi) measured from a reference lattice point.

The symmetry properties of the crystal are described by the concept of space groups. All possible symmetric arrangements of particles in three-dimensional space are described by the 230 space groups (219 distinct types, or 230 if chiral copies are considered distinct.

Space Group NameFm_ 3m
Space Group Number225
Crystal StructureFace Centered Cubic
Number of atoms per unit cell4
70 Yb Ytterbium - Crystal Structure | SchoolMyKids

The number of atoms per unit cell in a simple cubic, face-centered cubic and body-centred cubic are 1,4,2 respectively.

Ytterbium Atomic and Orbital Properties

Ytterbium atoms have 70 electrons and the electronic shell structure is [2, 8, 18, 32, 8, 2] with Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers) 1S0.

Atomic Number70
Number of Electrons (with no charge)70
Number of Protons70
Mass Number173
Number of Neutrons103
Shell structure (Electrons per energy level)2, 8, 18, 32, 8, 2
Electron Configuration[Xe] 4f14 6s2
Valence Electrons4f14 6s2
Valence (Valency)3
Main Oxidation States3
Oxidation States0, 1, 2, 3
Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers)1S0

Bohr Atomic Model of Ytterbium - Electrons per energy level

70 Yb Ytterbium Electron Shell Structure | SchoolMyKids
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Ground State Electronic Configuration of Ytterbium - neutral Ytterbium atom

Abbreviated electronic configuration of Ytterbium

The ground state abbreviated electronic configuration of Neutral Ytterbium atom is [Xe] 4f14 6s2. The portion of Ytterbium configuration that is equivalent to the noble gas of the preceding period, is abbreviated as [Xe]. For atoms with many electrons, this notation can become lengthy and so an abbreviated notation is used. This is important as it is the Valence electrons 4f14 6s2, electrons in the outermost shell that determine the chemical properties of the element.

Unabbreviated electronic configuration of neutral Ytterbium

Complete ground state electronic configuration for the Ytterbium atom, Unabbreviated electronic configuration

1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p6 4f14 6s2

Electrons are filled in atomic orbitals as per the order determined by the Aufbau principle, Pauli Exclusion Principle and Hund’s Rule.

  • As per the Aufbau principle the electrons will occupy the orbitals having lower energies before occupying higher energy orbitals. According to this principle, electrons are filled in the following order: 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, 3d, 4p, 5s, 4d, 5p, 6s, 4f, 5d, 6p, 7s, 5f, 6d, 7p…
  • The Pauli exclusion principle states that a maximum of two electrons, each having opposite spins, can fit in an orbital.
  • Hund's rule states that every orbital in a given subshell is singly occupied by electrons before a second electron is filled in an orbital.
  • Electron configuration of Ytterbium
    Atomic Structure of Ytterbium

    Ytterbium atomic radius is 222 pm, while it's covalent radius is -.

    Atomic Radius Calculated

    222 pm(2.22 Å)

    Atomic Radius Empirical

    175 pm (1.75 Å)

    Atomic Volume24.84 cm3/mol
    Covalent Radius-
    Van der Waals Radius-
    Neutron Cross Section35
    Neutron Mass Absorption 0.0076

    Spectral Lines of Ytterbium - Atomic Spectrum of Ytterbium

    A spectral line is a dark or bright line in an otherwise uniform and continuous spectrum, resulting from an excess or deficiency of photons in a narrow frequency range, compared with the nearby frequencies. Spectral lines are often used to identify atoms and molecules.

    Spectral lines are the result of interaction between a quantum system and a single photon. A spectral line may be observed either as an emission line or an absorption line.

    Spectral lines are highly atom-specific, and can be used to identify the chemical composition of any medium. Several elements, including helium, thallium, and caesium, were discovered by spectroscopic means. They are widely used to determine the physical conditions of stars and other celestial bodies that cannot be analyzed by other means.

    Emission spectrum of Ytterbium

    Emission Spectrum of Ytterbium | SchoolMyKids

    Absorption spectrum of Ytterbium

    Absorption Spectrum of Ytterbium | SchoolMyKids

    Ytterbium Chemical Properties: Ytterbium Ionization Energies and electron affinity

    The electron affinity of Ytterbium is 50 kJ/mol.

    Valence3
    Electronegativity1.1
    ElectronAffinity50 kJ/mol

    Ionization Energy of Ytterbium

    Ionization energy is the amount of energy required to remove an electron from an atom or molecule.in chemistry, this energy is expresed in kilocalories per mole (kcal/mol) or kilojoules per mole (kJ/mol).

    Refer to table below for Ionization energies of Ytterbium

    Ionization energy numberEnthalpy - kJ/mol
    1st603.4
    2nd1174.8
    3rd2417
    4th4203

    Ytterbium Physical Properties

    Refer to below table for Ytterbium Physical Properties

    Density6.57 g/cm3(when liquid at m.p density is $6.21 g/cm3)
    Molar Volume24.84 cm3/mol

    Elastic Properties

    Young Modulus24
    Shear Modulus9.9 GPa
    Bulk Modulus 31 GPa
    Poisson Ratio0.21

    Hardness of Ytterbium - Tests to Measure of Hardness of Element

    Mohs Hardness-
    Vickers Hardness206 MPa
    Brinell Hardness343 MPa

    Ytterbium Electrical Properties

    Electrical resistivity measures element's electrical resistance or how strongly it resists electric current.The SI unit of electrical resistivity is the ohm-metre (Ω⋅m). While Electrical conductivity is the reciprocal of electrical resistivity. It represents a element's ability to conduct electric current. The SI unit of electrical conductivity is siemens per metre (S/m).

    Ytterbium is a conductor of electricity. Refer to table below for the Electrical properties of Ytterbium

    Electrical conductors Conductor
    Electrical Conductivity3600000 S/m
    Resistivity2.79e-7 m Ω
    Superconducting Point-

    Ytterbium Heat and Conduction Properties

    Thermal Conductivity39 W/(m K)
    Thermal Expansion0.0000263 /K

    Ytterbium Magnetic Properties

    Magnetic TypeParamagnetic
    Curie Point-
    Mass Magnetic Susceptibility5.9e-9 m3/kg
    Molar Magnetic Susceptibility1.02e-9 m3/mol
    Volume Magnetic Susceptibility0.0000388

    Optical Properties of Ytterbium

    Refractive Index-

    Acoustic Properties of Ytterbium

    Speed of Sound1590 m/s

    Ytterbium Thermal Properties - Enthalpies and thermodynamics

    Refer to table below for Thermal properties of Ytterbium

    Melting Point1092 K(818.85 °C, 1505.930 °F)
    Boiling Point1469 K(1195.85 °C, 2184.530 °F)
    Critical Temperature-
    Superconducting Point-

    Enthalpies of Ytterbium

    Heat of Fusion7.7 kJ/mol
    Heat of Vaporization160 kJ/mol
    Heat of Combustion-

    Ytterbium Isotopes - Nuclear Properties of Ytterbium

    Ytterbium has 34 isotopes, with between 148 and 181 nucleons. Ytterbium has 7 stable naturally occuring isotopes.

    Isotopes of Ytterbium - Naturally occurring stable Isotopes: 168Yb, 170Yb, 171Yb, 172Yb, 173Yb, 174Yb, 176Yb.

    IsotopeZNIsotope Mass% AbundanceT halfDecay Mode
    148Yb7078148Synthetic
    149Yb7079149Synthetic
    150Yb7080150Synthetic
    151Yb7081151Synthetic
    152Yb7082152Synthetic
    153Yb7083153Synthetic
    154Yb7084154Synthetic
    155Yb7085155Synthetic
    156Yb7086156Synthetic
    157Yb7087157Synthetic
    158Yb7088158Synthetic
    159Yb7089159Synthetic
    160Yb7090160Synthetic
    161Yb7091161Synthetic
    162Yb7092162Synthetic
    163Yb7093163Synthetic
    164Yb7094164Synthetic
    165Yb7095165Synthetic
    166Yb7096166Synthetic
    167Yb7097167Synthetic
    168Yb70981680.13%StableN/A
    169Yb7099169Synthetic
    170Yb701001703.04%StableN/A
    171Yb7010117114.28%StableN/A
    172Yb7010217221.83%StableN/A
    173Yb7010317316.13%Stable
    174Yb7010417431.83%StableN/A
    175Yb70105175Synthetic
    176Yb7010617612.76%StableN/A
    177Yb70107177Synthetic
    178Yb70108178Synthetic
    179Yb70109179Synthetic
    180Yb70110180Synthetic
    181Yb70111181Synthetic

    Regulatory and Health - Health and Safety Parameters and Guidelines

    The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) identifies hazard class of all dangerous elements/goods/commodities either by its class (or division) number or name. The DOT has divided these materials into nine different categories, known as Hazard Classes.

    NFPA 704 is a Standard System for the Identification of the Hazards of Materials for Emergency Response. NFPA is a standard maintained by the US based National Fire Protection Association.

    The health (blue), flammability (red), and reactivity (yellow) rating all use a numbering scale ranging from 0 to 4. A value of zero means that the element poses no hazard; a rating of four indicates extreme danger.

    Autoignition Point-
    Flashpoint-

    Database Search

    List of unique identifiers to search the element in various chemical registry databases

    DatabaseIdentifier number
    CAS Number - Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS)CAS7440-64-4
    RTECS NumberRTECSZG1925000
    CID Number CID23992
    Gmelin Number-
    NSC Number-

    Compare Ytterbium with other elements

    Compare Ytterbium with all Group elements

    Compare Ytterbium with all Period 6 elements

    Compare Ytterbium with all Lanthanide elements

    FAQs

    What is the electronic configuration of Ytterbium?

    The electronic configuration of Ytterbium is 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p6 4f14 6s2.

    What is the abbreviated electronic configuration of Ytterbium?

    The abbreviated electronic configuration of Ytterbium is [Xe] 4f14 6s2. To form abbreviated notation of electronic configuration, the completely filled subshells are replaced by the noble gas of the preceding period in square brackets.

    What is the symbol of Ytterbium?

    Symbol of Ytterbium is Yb. Ytterbium is a chemical element with symbol Yb and atomic number 70.

    What is the position of Ytterbium in the Periodic Table?

    Ytterbium is a chemical element with the symbol Yb and atomic number 70. Ytterbium is the 70 element on the periodic table. It is located in group null and period 6 in the modern periodic table.

    What is the atomic number of Ytterbium?

    The atomic number of Ytterbium is 70.

    What is the color of Ytterbium?

    Ytterbium is of Silver color.

    Who discovered Ytterbium?

    The element Ytterbium was discovered by J.C.G. de Marignac in year 1878 in Switzerland. Ytterbium was first isolated by C. A. von Welsbach in 1906.

    How many valence electrons does a Ytterbium atom have?

    Ytterbium has 3 valence electrons. Ytterbium has 70 electrons out of which 3 valence electrons are present in the 4f14 6s2 outer orbitals of atom.

    What is the melting Point of Ytterbium?

    Melting Point of Ytterbium is 1092 K.

    What is the boiling Point of Ytterbium?

    Boiling Point of Ytterbium is 1469 K.

    What is the melting Point of Ytterbium in Kelvin?

    Melting Point of Ytterbium in Kelvin is 1092 K.

    What is the boiling Point of Ytterbium in Kelvin?

    Boiling Point of Ytterbium in Kelvin is 1469 K.

    What is the melting Point of Ytterbium in Celsius?

    Melting Point of Ytterbium in Celsius is 818.85 °C.

    What is the boiling Point of Ytterbium in Celsius?

    Boiling Point of Ytterbium in Celsius is 1195.85 °C.

    What is the melting Point of Ytterbium in Fahrenheit?

    Melting Point of Ytterbium in Fahrenheit is 1505.93 °F.

    What is the boiling Point of Ytterbium in Fahrenheit?

    Boiling Point of Ytterbium in Fahrenheit is 2184.53 °F.

    What is the electronic configuration of Ytterbium 70?

    The electronic configuration of Ytterbium will be 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p6 4f14 6s2.

    How do you write the electron configuration for Ytterbium?

    The electronic configuration of Ytterbium will be 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p6 4f14 6s2.