ytterbium

American  

[ih-tur-bee-uhm] / ɪˈtɜr bi əm /

noun

Chemistry.

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

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ytterbium British  

/ 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

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ytterbium Scientific  

/ ĭ-tûr′bē-əm /

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

Etymology

Origin of ytterbium

From New Latin, dating back to 1875–80; see origin at ytterbia, -ium

Example Sentences

Geological Survey geologists first identified rare earth mineralization in the Music Valley area in 1954, with sampling reporting enrichment in dysprosium, terbium, yttrium and ytterbium, Dateline Resources said in a press release.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

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

From Barron's • Oct. 24, 2025

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

From Science Magazine • May 30, 2024

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.

From Science Daily • May 16, 2024

Quantinuum’s H1 quantum processor is made up of a strand of 10 qubits—10 ytterbium ions—in a vacuum chamber, with lasers tightly controlling their positions and states.

From Scientific American • Jul. 26, 2022