Ytterbium (Yb)
Ytterbium is element 70, a lanthanide in the lanthanide series (period 6). A neutral atom has 70 protons, 103 neutrons and 70 electrons, 2 of them valence electrons.
Lanthanide- Atomic number
- 70
- Atomic mass
- 173.05 u
- Valence electrons
- 2*
- Protons · neutrons
- 70 · 103
- Electrons per shell
- 2, 8, 18, 32, 8, 2
- At room temperature
- solid
Bohr model of ytterbium
The Bohr model draws ytterbium as a nucleus of 70 protons and 103 neutrons, with its 70 electrons on 6 circular shells: 2 in shell 1, 8 in shell 2, 18 in shell 3, 32 in shell 4, 8 in shell 5, 2 in shell 6. Press Build the atom to watch the shells fill from the inside out. The outer ring (the P shell) is dashed: the electrons there are the ones that take part in chemistry.
Real electrons don't travel in neat circles. They live in fuzzy orbitals, shown below, but the Bohr picture is the quickest way to count shells and valence electrons.
Electron configuration of ytterbium
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p⁶ 5s² 4d¹⁰ 5p⁶ 6s² 4f¹⁴
Short form (noble gas notation): [Xe] 6s² 4f¹⁴. The [Xe] stands for the electrons of xenon, the noble gas before it.
How many valence electrons does ytterbium have?
Ytterbium has 2 valence electrons.
Ytterbium is a lanthanide, so its valence electrons are less clear-cut than for main-group elements. It has 2 electrons in its outermost shell (shell 6), and electrons in its inner f and d subshell can also take part in bonding.
Protons, neutrons and electrons
| Protons | 70 | equal to the atomic number |
|---|---|---|
| Electrons | 70 | equal to the protons in a neutral atom |
| Neutrons | 103 | mass number 173 − 70 protons |
Atoms of the same element can have different numbers of neutrons (isotopes). The count above uses the rounded atomic mass, the way it's taught in class.
Ytterbium properties
| Symbol | Yb |
|---|---|
| Category | Lanthanide |
| Group · period · block | — · 6 · f |
| Atomic mass | 173.05 u |
| State at 25 °C | solid |
| Melting point | 1,092 K (819 °C, 1,510 °F) |
| Boiling point | 1,469 K (1,200 °C, 2,180 °F) |
| Density | 6.9 g/cm³ |
| Electronegativity (Pauling) | — |
| Atomic radius | 242 pm |
| First ionization energy | 6.254 eV |
| Electron affinity | — |
| Oxidation states | +3, +2 |
| Common ion charge | +3, +2 |
| Discovered | 1878 by Jean Charles Galissard de Marignac |
Where ytterbium sits on the periodic table
Lanthanides: Lanthanum, Cerium, Praseodymium, Neodymium, Promethium, Samarium, Europium, Gadolinium.
Questions about ytterbium
How many valence electrons does ytterbium have?
Ytterbium has 2 valence electrons in its outer shell; inner d or f electrons can also bond.
How many protons, neutrons and electrons does ytterbium have?
A neutral ytterbium atom has 70 protons and 70 electrons. Its most common form has about 103 neutrons (mass number 173 − 70 protons).
What is the electron configuration of ytterbium?
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p⁶ 5s² 4d¹⁰ 5p⁶ 6s² 4f¹⁴, written in short form as [Xe] 6s² 4f¹⁴.
What does the Bohr model of ytterbium look like?
A nucleus of 70 protons and 103 neutrons, circled by 6 electron shells holding 2, 8, 18, 32, 8, 2 electrons.
What is the atomic number of ytterbium?
70. The atomic number is the number of protons in the nucleus, and it is what makes an atom ytterbium.