The following sections of this BookRags Literature Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources.
(c)1998-2002; (c)2002 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Gale and Design and Thomson Learning are trademarks used herein under license.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction: "Social Concerns", "Thematic Overview", "Techniques", "Literary Precedents", "Key Questions", "Related Titles", "Adaptations", "Related Web Sites". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas for Reports and Papers". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
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Ytterbium is a rare earth metal, one of the elements found in Row 6 of the periodic table. It has an atomic number of 70, an atomic mass of 173.04, and a chemical symbol of Yb.
Ytterbium is a typical metal that is both ductile and malleable. It has a melting point of 1,515°F (824°C), a boiling point of 2,600°F (1,427°C), and a density of 7.01 grams per cubic centimeter. Ytterbium is a relatively reactive element that is usually stored in sealed containers to prevent its reacting with oxygen of the air.
Ytterbium is one of the more common rare earth metals with an abundance in the Earth's crust of about 2.7-8 parts per million. Its most common ore is monazite, which is found in beach sands in Brazil, India, and Florida. It is extracted from its ores by heating lanthanum metal with ytterbium oxide (Yb2O3): 2La + Yb2O3 2Yb + La2O3.
Ytterbium was "discovered" over a period of more than 20 years by three chemists: Jean-Charles-Galissard de Marignac (1817-94) of France, Lars Fredrik Nilson (1840-99) of Sweden, and Georges Urbain (1872-1938) of France. The three chemists all worked on a mineral known as yttria originally discovered near the town of Ytterby, Sweden, in 1787. The mineral eventually yielded nine new chemical elements. The element was given the name of ytterbium in honor of the town near which it was discovered.
Very small amounts of ytterbium are used in the manufacture of special steel alloys and in lasers. Generally speaking, however, it has almost no commercial application of significance.