Element 70
Ytterbium (Yb)
Ytterbium (Yb) is element 70 of the periodic table, a lanthanide in period 6 (f-block) with an atomic mass of 173.05 and is a solid at standard conditions.
At a glance
- Atomic number
- 70
- Symbol
- Yb
- Atomic mass
- 173.05 u
- Category
- Lanthanides
- Period
- 6
- Block
- f-block
- Phase at STP
- solid
Electron structure
- Electron configuration
- 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 4f14 5s2 5p6 6s2
- Shorthand configuration
- [Xe] 4f14 6s2
- Electrons per shell
- 2, 8, 18, 32, 8, 2
- Oxidation states
- +2, +3
Physical properties
- Melting point
- 1097 K
- Boiling point
- 1469 K
- Density
- 6.965 g/cm3
- Phase
- solid
Atomic properties
- Electronegativity (Pauling)
- 1.1
- Atomic radius
- 222 pm
- Covalent radius
- 187 pm
- First ionization energy
- 603 kJ/mol
- Electron affinity
- 50 kJ/mol
Notable isotopes
| Isotope | Mass | Abundance | Stability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yb-174 | 173.93887 | 31.83% | Stable |
Common uses
- Lasers
- Metallurgy
- Atomic clocks
- Dental materials
Discovery
- Year
- 1878
- Discovered by
- Jean Charles Galissard de Marignac
- Country
- Switzerland