Ytterbium

Ytterbium is a chemical element.  It has the chemical symbol Yb.  It has the atomic number 70 which means it has 70 protons in an atom. It is part of a group of chemical elements in the periodic table named the Lanthanides. Ytterbium, along with yttrium, terbium, and erbium, is one of the four elements to be named after the town of Ytterby in Sweden, all of which are rare earth elements. It is soft and silver in color.

Ytterbium is found in minerals named gadolinite, monazite, and xenotime.  In nature it is found as a mix of seven stable isotopes. Ytterbium is used in some steels and is also used to make lasers.

Related pages
Periodic table
List of common elements

Category:Lanthanides