Ytterbium (Yb)
"The Atomic Clockwork, a hero who helps keep time with almost perfect, unwavering precision."
A memorable persona to anchor Yb in your mind.
6.9
Grams per cm³
824
Celsius (°C)
242
Radius (pm)
Daily Life Link
Ytterbium is found in ultra-precise atomic clocks.
Discovery & History
Year Discovered
1878
Discovered By
Jean Charles Galissard de Marignac
Origin of Name
"Ytterbium is named after Ytterby, Sweden."
Technical Properties
Atomic Mass
173.045 u
Standard State
solid
Boiling Point
1196°C
Electron Configuration
[Xe] 4f146s2
1st Ionization Energy
6.254 eV
Electron Affinity
N/A
Oxidation States
"Ytterbium is a soft, bright, silvery metal."
Did You Know?
Some of the world's most accurate atomic clocks use ytterbium atoms. These clocks are so precise they would not lose or gain a second in billions of years.
It was the fourth element to be named after the small Swedish village of Ytterby, the source of the mineral from which it was first extracted.
When added to stainless steel, ytterbium improves its strength and other mechanical properties.
It has been used as a radiation source for portable X-ray machines, similar to thulium.