Ytterbium (Yb)

Silvery white; with a pale yellow tint

Ytterbium is used in atomic clocks, laser metallurgy, and the latest generation of fiber-optic amplifiers, and with a filled 4f¹⁴ shell, Yb³⁺ has a simple two-level energy structure. Ytterbium-doped lasers achieve 90%+ wall-plug efficiency and ytterbium atomic clocks rival cesium in accuracy.

Key metrics

Density6.9g/cm³

Melting point1,097K

Boiling point1,469K

Electronegativity1.1Pauling

Discovery

1878discovered

Discovered by: Jean Charles Galissard de Marignac
Reactivity profile: Reacts with acids
Reactivity: Medium
Bonding: Metallic

Electron configuration

\textcolor{#6b7280}{[Xe]}\; \textcolor{#a855f7}{4_{f}^{14}}\; \textcolor{#ef4444}{6_{s}^{2}}

[Xe] 4f14 6s2

Wave function

\Psi_{\text{Yb}} \approx \frac{1}{\sqrt{70!}} \det \left| \chi_1(\mathbf{r}_1) \dots \chi_{70}(\mathbf{r}_{70}) \right|

Probability density $|\Psi|^2$ across the Yb valence shell.

Crystal structure

Face-Centered Cubic

Lattice constantsa = 1.00

Cell anglesα = β = γ = 90°

Coordination number12

Atoms per cell4

Atomic packing factor0.74

Physical properties

Atomic radius: 194 pm
Ionization energy: 603 kJ/mol
Electron affinity: 50 kJ/mol
Crystal structure: Face-centered cubic (fcc)

Oxidation states

+2+3

Acid/base

Basic

Strongly acidicStrongly basic

State at 25 °CSolid

1097 K1469 K298 K

Emission spectrum

3 transitions

380450500550600650700780

VioletBlueGreenYellowRed

398.8nmYb I (UV)UV40%

538.2nmYb IGreen60%

555.8nmYb I (green)Green100%

Dominant line 555.8 nmRange 399–556 nmTransitions 3