70YbYtterbium173.0451[Xe] 4f¹⁴ 6s²
lanthanide

Ytterbium

Ytterbium is a chemical element with symbol Yb and atomic number 70. It is the fourteenth and penultimate element in the lanthanide series, which is the basis of the relative stability of its +2 oxidation state. However, like the other lanthanides, its most common oxidation state is +3, seen in its oxide, halides and other compounds.

Properties

At a glance

Atomic number
70
Atomic mass
173.0451 u
Phase
Solid
Density
6.9 g/cm³
Melting point
1,097 K
Boiling point
1,469 K
First ionization energy
603.4 kJ/mol
Electronegativity
1.1
Electron affinity
-1.93 kJ/mol
Molar heat capacity
26.74 J/(mol·K)
Period
6
Appearance
Unavailable

Conditions and isotopes affect measured properties. Some properties of short-lived elements are predicted. Electronegativity uses the Pauling scale.

Electronic structure

Ytterbium’s orbitals use a hydrogen-like approximation. Every orbital of each visible subshell is shown: in Shapes as the surface holding half its probability, with light and dark shades for opposite signs of the wavefunction; in Cloud as dots where its electrons are likely to be. Sizes are stepped by shell, like the Shell model.

Electrons by shell
Electron configuration

54 is the [Xe] core total across five shells.

Preparing the orbital view…

70 protons104 neutrons

Ytterbium-174: its most common form in nature, or its longest-lived if it has none. The nucleus is drawn far too big: it’s about 100,000 times smaller than the atom.

States of matter

Turn up the heat

298 KK stands for kelvin, the temperature scale used in science. It starts at absolute zero (0 K), the coldest temperature possible, so it has no negative numbers and no degree sign.

A step of 1 K is the same size as 1 °C, so the two scales are always 273.15 apart. Fahrenheit is different: its degrees are smaller and it starts elsewhere, so water freezes at 273.15 K, 0 °C and 32 °F.25 °C · 77 °FSolid

At this temperature, ytterbium is a solid.

At normal atmospheric pressure (1 atm). The temperature scale is logarithmic. The particle box is schematic: real samples hold vastly more atoms, and spacing and speeds are not to scale.

Ionization energy

Pull the electrons off

Yb

YbNeutral atom · no charge

A neutral ytterbium atom. Removing its first electron takes 603 kJ/mol.

Ytterbium’s outer shell holds 2 electrons. Electron 3 is the first from an inner shell: it sits closer to the nucleus with less shielding, so removing it takes 2.1× as much energy as the one before. Each dashed line on the chart marks another jump, into a shell even closer to the nucleus.

Shell 1Shell 2Shell 3Shell 4Shell 5Shell 6MeasuredEstimated or calculatedEnergy in kJ/molkJ/mol (kilojoules per mole) is the energy to remove that electron from every atom in a mole of them: about 602 sextillion (6.02 × 10²³) atoms. For a single atom, divide by 96.485 to get electronvolts (eV). Ytterbium’s first electron takes about 6.3 eV.
1001,00010,000100,0001,000,00010,000,000Shell 5Shell 4Shell 3Shell 2×2.1×1.1×1.7×2.2×41510152025303540455055606570
Show the values as a table
ElectronShellEnergy (kJ/mol)× previousValue
16603–Measured
261,1751.9Measured
352,4172.1Estimated
454,2081.7Estimated
556,3291.5Estimated
659,5521.5Calculated
7511,2891.2Calculated
8513,0261.2Calculated
9515,7271.2Calculated
10517,5601.1Calculated
11420,1651.1Calculated
12423,5421.2Calculated
13426,9191.1Calculated
14429,0421.1Calculated
15431,2611.1Calculated
16434,7351.1Calculated
17438,2081.1Calculated
18441,5851.1Calculated
19445,2521.1Calculated
20448,7251.1Calculated
21452,1021.1Calculated
22455,9611.1Calculated
23458,8561.1Calculated
24462,8121.1Calculated
25485,1001.4Calculated
26489,1521Calculated
27493,6871.1Calculated
28498,3191Calculated
294102,7571Calculated
304107,4851Calculated
314113,3701.1Calculated
324118,0981Calculated
334123,0191Calculated
344127,7471Calculated
354146,2721.1Calculated
364150,9031Calculated
374156,1131Calculated
384160,9381Calculated
394172,6121.1Calculated
404178,0151Calculated
414190,8481.1Calculated
424196,4831Estimated
433332,1991.7Calculated
443343,0051Calculated
453354,7771Calculated
463367,1271Calculated
473379,0911Calculated
483390,8621Calculated
493408,9051Calculated
503421,0621Calculated
513434,3771Calculated
523446,7271Calculated
533481,2691.1Calculated
543492,1721Calculated
553504,0391Calculated
563515,1351Calculated
573552,9571.1Calculated
583565,4041Calculated
593589,6221Calculated
603601,6831Calculated
6121,329,9542.2Calculated
6221,359,7681Calculated
6321,392,7661Calculated
6421,423,3521Calculated
6521,562,1941.1Calculated
6621,598,7621Calculated
6721,645,0751Calculated
6821,675,5101Calculated
6916,765,8454Calculated
7016,905,9021Calculated

Successive ionization energies of gas-phase atoms and ions from the NIST Atomic Spectra Database. Solid bars are measured; hatched bars were estimated from nearby measurements or calculated from quantum theory, as is usual for highly charged ions. Electrons are taken from the outermost shell first, a simplification: electrons in different subshells of the same shell also differ in energy. On the log scale each gridline is 10 times the one below.

Compared with other elements

How does it compare?

YtterbiumOther lanthanidesOther elements

Density

6.9 g/cm³48th lowest of 99

Yb

Melting point

1,097 K42nd lowest of 96

Yb

Boiling point

1,469 K30th lowest of 97

Yb

Electronegativity

1.112th lowest of 96

Yb

First ionization energy

603 kJ/mol37th lowest of 99

Yb

Elements 1–99 from the reference data; heavier elements are left out because only a few atoms have ever been made, so their bulk properties are predictions. First ionization energies come from NIST. Density uses a logarithmic scale, because gases are around a thousand times less dense than solids; gas densities are at 0 °C and 1 atm. Melting and boiling points are at normal pressure. Everyday temperatures and light sources in the pictures are approximate. Hover over a dot to see the element, or click it to compare.

Keep exploring

Explore the stories, imagery, and reference data in more depth. Properties with no value in the reference are marked unavailable.