ytterbium

[ih-tur-bee-uh m] /ɪˈtɜr bi əm/
noun, Chemistry
1.
a rare metallic element found in gadolinite and forming compounds resembling those of yttrium. Symbol: Yb; atomic weight: 173.04; atomic number: 70; specific gravity: 6.96.
Compare rare-earth element.
Origin
1875-80; < Neo-Latin; see ytterbia, -ium
Related forms
ytterbic, ytterbous, adjective
Examples from the web for ytterbium
  • ytterbium is readily attacked and dissolved by dilute and concentrated mineral acids and reacts slowly with water.
British Dictionary definitions for ytterbium

ytterbium

/ɪˈtɜːbɪəm/
noun
1.
a soft malleable silvery element of the lanthanide series of metals that occurs in monazite and is used to improve the mechanical properties of steel. Symbol: Yb; atomic no: 70; atomic wt: 173.04; valency: 2 or 3; relative density: 6.903 (alpha), 6.966 (beta); melting pt: 819°C; boiling pt: 1196°C
Word Origin
C19: New Latin; see ytterbia
Word Origin and History for ytterbium

metallic rare-earth element, 1879, coined in Modern Latin by Swedish chemist Carl Gustaf Mosander (1797-1858) from Ytterby, name of a town in Sweden where mineral containing it was found.

ytterbium in Medicine

ytterbium yt·ter·bi·um (ĭ-tûr'bē-əm)
n.
Symbol Yb
A soft bright allotropic rare-earth element. Atomic number 70; atomic weight 173.04; melting point 824°C; boiling point 1,194°C; specific gravity 6.97 or 6.90 (25°C) depending on allotropic form; valence 2, 3.

ytterbium in Science
ytterbium
  (ĭ-tûr'bē-əm)   
Symbol Yb
A soft, silvery-white metallic element of the lanthanide series that occurs as seven stable isotopes. It is used as a radiation source for portable x-ray machines. Atomic number 70; atomic weight 173.04; melting point 824°C; boiling point 1,196°C; specific gravity 6.972 or 6.54 (25°C) depending on allotropic form; valence 2, 3. See Periodic Table.
Encyclopedia Article for ytterbium

Yb

(Yb), chemical element, rare-earth metal of the lanthanoid series of the periodic table, a low-melting-point, divalent rare earth with little commercial use.

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