Quick answerYtterbium (Yb) is a lanthanide with atomic number 70 and an atomic mass of 173.05 (2023), in period 6. It was discovered by Jean Charles Galissard de Marignac in 1878. It is used for industrial lasers and atomic clocks. Its electron configuration is [Xe] 4f14 6s2.
Ytterbium powers the lasers that cut steel and mark products, and its atoms tick in some of the world's most accurate clocks.
Key facts
| Symbol | Yb |
|---|---|
| Atomic number | 70 |
| Atomic mass | 173.05 (IUPAC standard atomic weight, 2023) |
| Category | lanthanide |
| Group | — (f-block element, no group number) |
| Period | 6 |
| Block | f-block |
| Electron configuration | [Xe] 4f14 6s2 |
| Discovered | Jean Charles Galissard de Marignac, 1878 |
| Uses | industrial lasers, atomic clocks, stainless steel alloys, lasers, medical imaging |
Quick quiz
Three questions from the facts on this page. No sign-up, no score is saved.
Keep exploring
- Periodic table — all 118 elements
- Promethium (Pm) — another lanthanide, atomic number 61
- Samarium (Sm) — another lanthanide, atomic number 62
- Europium (Eu) — another lanthanide, atomic number 63
- Gadolinium (Gd) — another lanthanide, atomic number 64
- Terbium (Tb) — another lanthanide, atomic number 65
- Dysprosium (Dy) — another lanthanide, atomic number 66
- Holmium (Ho) — another lanthanide, atomic number 67
- Erbium (Er) — another lanthanide, atomic number 68
- Thulium (Tm) — another lanthanide, atomic number 69
- Lutetium (Lu) — another lanthanide, atomic number 71
- All lanthanide elements — on the periodic table
Sources & last updated
- CIAAW — Standard Atomic Weights
- PubChem Periodic Table
- Wikipedia — Timeline of chemical element discoveries
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.