#70 / 118
70Yb173.05
Lanthanides (Rare Earths)solid at STPF-block

Ytterbium

Group: f-block•Period: 6•Standard Atomic Weight: 173.05 u
Open Full Periodic TableView Bohr Model

Why is Ytterbium in this position?

Understanding the scientific rationale behind Ytterbium's position in the periodic table:

Group Assignment
Group Lanthanide / Actinide

Lanthanide series element completing the 4f subshell.

Period Assignment
Period 6

Belongs to Period 6 because its outermost electrons occupy n=6.

Orbital Block
F-block

Belongs to the f-block because its 4f subshell is completely filled with 14 electrons (4f¹⁴ 6s²).

Chemical Category
Lanthanides (Rare Earths)

Classified as a lanthanide rare earth metal.

Atomic Structure & Bohr Shell Model

Shell Distribution: [2, 8, 18, 32, 8, 2]

Bohr Atomic Shell Model(2, 8, 18, 32, 8, 2)

Hover or tap any shell orbit ring to inspect electron counts and 2n² capacities.

70 Protons (p⁺)103 Neutrons (n⁰)
KShell K: Electron 1 of 2Shell K: Electron 2 of 2LShell L: Electron 1 of 8Shell L: Electron 2 of 8Shell L: Electron 3 of 8Shell L: Electron 4 of 8Shell L: Electron 5 of 8Shell L: Electron 6 of 8Shell L: Electron 7 of 8Shell L: Electron 8 of 8MShell M: Electron 1 of 18Shell M: Electron 2 of 18Shell M: Electron 3 of 18Shell M: Electron 4 of 18Shell M: Electron 5 of 18Shell M: Electron 6 of 18Shell M: Electron 7 of 18Shell M: Electron 8 of 18Shell M: Electron 9 of 18Shell M: Electron 10 of 18Shell M: Electron 11 of 18Shell M: Electron 12 of 18Shell M: Electron 13 of 18Shell M: Electron 14 of 18Shell M: Electron 15 of 18Shell M: Electron 16 of 18Shell M: Electron 17 of 18Shell M: Electron 18 of 18NShell N: Electron 1 of 32Shell N: Electron 2 of 32Shell N: Electron 3 of 32Shell N: Electron 4 of 32Shell N: Electron 5 of 32Shell N: Electron 6 of 32Shell N: Electron 7 of 32Shell N: Electron 8 of 32Shell N: Electron 9 of 32Shell N: Electron 10 of 32Shell N: Electron 11 of 32Shell N: Electron 12 of 32Shell N: Electron 13 of 32Shell N: Electron 14 of 32Shell N: Electron 15 of 32Shell N: Electron 16 of 32Shell N: Electron 17 of 32Shell N: Electron 18 of 32Shell N: Electron 19 of 32Shell N: Electron 20 of 32Shell N: Electron 21 of 32Shell N: Electron 22 of 32Shell N: Electron 23 of 32Shell N: Electron 24 of 32Shell N: Electron 25 of 32Shell N: Electron 26 of 32Shell N: Electron 27 of 32Shell N: Electron 28 of 32Shell N: Electron 29 of 32Shell N: Electron 30 of 32Shell N: Electron 31 of 32Shell N: Electron 32 of 32OShell O: Electron 1 of 8Shell O: Electron 2 of 8Shell O: Electron 3 of 8Shell O: Electron 4 of 8Shell O: Electron 5 of 8Shell O: Electron 6 of 8Shell O: Electron 7 of 8Shell O: Electron 8 of 8PShell P: Electron 1 of 2Shell P: Electron 2 of 2YbZ = 70

Educational Note: This Niels Bohr planetary model visually illustrates principal quantum energy shells ($n=1, 2, 3\dots$) and electron counts. In modern quantum mechanics (Schrödinger model), electrons do not orbit in fixed circular planetary tracks, but exist as 3D probability clouds (orbitals: $s, p, d, f$) governed by the Heisenberg uncertainty principle.

Electron Shell Filling Breakdown

Shell K (n=1):2 / 2 electrons (100%)
Shell L (n=2):8 / 8 electrons (100%)
Shell M (n=3):18 / 18 electrons (100%)
Shell N (n=4):32 / 32 electrons (100%)
Shell O (n=5):8 / 50 electrons (16%)
Shell P (n=6):2 / 72 electrons (3%)
Aufbau Electron Configuration
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 4f¹⁴ 5s² 5p⁶ 6s²

Neutral ground state configuration. Valence electrons: 16.

Atomic & Quantum Properties

Electronegativity (Pauling)1.1 Pauling
1st Ionization Energy603.4 kJ/mol
Electron Affinity-50 kJ/mol
Atomic Radius (empirical)175 pm
Common Oxidation States+3, +2
Crystal StructureFCC

Physical & Thermal Properties

Density at STP6.90 g/cm³
Melting Point824 °C (1097 K)
Boiling Point1196 °C (1469 K)
Magnetic OrderingDiamagnetic
Discovery Year1878
Discovered ByJean Charles Galissard de Marignac

Real-World Uses, Occurrence & Compounds

Major Industrial & Everyday Uses
  • High-power industrial ytterbium fiber lasers for sheet metal cutting and welding
  • Next-generation optical lattice atomic clocks (NIST ytterbium clocks)
  • Stainless steel grain refinement and radiation radiography sources (Ytterbium-169)
  • High-pressure piezoresistive stress measurement gauges for seismic monitoring
Occurrence in Nature

Extracted from monazite, xenotime, and euxenite mineral ores.

Etymology & Name Origin

Named after the Swedish village of Ytterby

Important Chemical Compounds
Yb₂O₃ (Ytterbium oxide)
YbCl₃ (Ytterbium chloride)
Yb:YAG (High-power laser crystal)
Interesting Chemical Facts
  • • Ytterbium has a completely filled 4f subshell ([Xe] 4f¹⁴ 6s²), giving it unusual physical properties including a very low boiling point and high electrical resistivity.
  • • Ytterbium optical lattice atomic clocks at NIST tick over 518 trillion times per second with precision exceeding the age of the universe.
  • • Ytterbium's electrical resistance jumps dramatically under high mechanical pressures, making it an ideal sensor to monitor underground earthquake stresses.
Safety & Handling Note

Low toxicity; reacts slowly with water and burns in air to form ytterbium(III) oxide.

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