70
Ytterbium
Atomic Number70
Atomic Mass173.0 u
CategoryLanthanide
State at Room TempSolid
Year Discovered1878
About Ytterbium
The fourth and final element named after the Swedish village of Ytterby. Ytterbium optical lattice clocks are the most precise timekeepers ever built, accurate to within a second over the age of the universe. Used to strengthen stainless steel, as a radiation source in portable devices, and in lasers. Ytterbium ions also drive cutting edge quantum computing research.
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