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; 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

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

From Barron's • Nov. 13, 2025

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

From Science Daily • Nov. 18, 2024

Atom Computing, a California startup, went one better, last year presenting an 1180-qubit computer that relies on the spins of neutral ytterbium atoms.

From Science Magazine • May 30, 2024

They calculated that such a “quasi-periodic” pattern could potentially induce multiple symmetries in the processor’s ytterbium qubits while avoiding the unwanted amplifications.

From Scientific American • Jul. 26, 2022