Ytterbium (Yb)

Ytterbium is a soft, malleable and ductile chemical element in the lanthanide series.

Core Principles & Analysis

• Jean Charles Galissard de Marignac discovered ytterbium in 1878, the fourth element named after the Swedish village of Ytterby.
• Ytterbium-171 atoms trapped in optical lattices make clocks so stable they would drift by less than a second over the age of the universe.
• Ytterbium-doped fiber lasers dominate industrial metal cutting and welding, and ytterbium-169 enables portable radiography.

Specifications & Metrics

• NUM: 70
• SYMBOL: Yb
• CATEGORY: Lanthanide