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ytterbium

[ih-tur-bee-uhm]

noun

Chemistry.
  1. a rare metallic element found in gadolinite and forming compounds resembling those of yttrium. Yb; 173.04; 70; 6.96.



ytterbium

/ ɪˈtɜːbɪəm /

noun

  1. a soft malleable silvery element of the lanthanide series of metals that occurs in monazite and is used to improve the mechanical properties of steel. Symbol: Yb; atomic no: 70; atomic wt: 173.04; valency: 2 or 3; relative density: 6.903 (alpha), 6.966 (beta); melting pt: 819°C; boiling pt: 1196°C

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

ytterbium

  1. A soft, silvery-white metallic element of the lanthanide series that occurs as seven stable isotopes. It is used as a radiation source for portable x-ray machines. Atomic number 70; atomic weight 173.04; melting point 824°C; boiling point 1,196°C; specific gravity 6.972 or 6.54 (25°C) depending on allotropic form; valence 2, 3.

  2. See Periodic Table

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Other Word Forms

  • ytterbic adjective
  • ytterbous adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of ytterbium1

From New Latin, dating back to 1875–80; ytterbia, -ium
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Word History and Origins

Origin of ytterbium1

C19: New Latin; see ytterbia
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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Heavy rare-earth elements include dysprosium, terbium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, and yttrium.

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The region holds deposits of many of the very elements China has placed under export controls: yttrium, scandium, erbium, europium, ytterbium, samarium, and lutetium.

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Central to this innovation is the ytterbium thin-disk laser, which produces high-power, femtosecond pulses at megahertz repetition rates.

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Above the racetrack, a handful of ytterbium ions are trapped and levitated by a train of electrical, radiofrequency, and laser pulses.

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Here, the researchers started with four parent compounds containing five elements in total -- ytterbium, calcium, magnesium, zinc and antimony -- running calculations to determine which combinations of the parent compounds could reach band convergence.

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ytterbiteytterbium oxide