Geneva, Paris—Jean Charles Galissard de Marignac,
Georges Urbain
elements
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Ytterbium
- Jean Charles Galissard de Marignac
- split terbia into terbia and (he called it) ytterbia,
- the oxide of ytterbium,
- the fourth element named after Ytterby, Sweden.
- *
- Years later, Georges Urbain isolated
- from ytterbium oxide two elements—
- neoytterbia, later named ytterbium,
- and lutecia, later named lutetium.
Atomic number 70
- A little ytterbium-169
- is a radiation source in portable X-ray machines.
- A little ytterbium improves
- the mechanical properties of stainless steel.
- A little ytterbium helps make
- an efficient laser with a short pulse.
Exceedingly little
- Ytterbium occurs naturally as
- a mixture of seven isotopes.
- All seven exist in
- exceedingly small quantities.
- Exceedingly rare qualities, rare things
- matter a lot.
A lack of imagination, a lack of a unique spectral color, a lack of knowledge of classical myths, gave us neoytterbia, a.k.a, ytterbium, another element named after Ytterby, Sweden.
See also in The book of science:
Readings on wikipedia:
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