Write formulas for ytterbium(III) oxide and ytterbium(II) chloride.
Yb3+ with O2- gives Yb2O3; Yb2+ with two Cl- gives YbCl2. The Roman numeral changes the subscripts — same discipline as iron or tin.
What Is the Charge of Ytterbium?
Ytterbium commonly forms Yb2+ Yb3+ in introductory ionic compounds.
Ytterbium runs the lanthanide standard Yb3+ (Yb2O3, YbCl3) but keeps a legitimate Yb2+ in reserve — losing just two electrons leaves the completely filled f14 shell. Green YbCl2 and YbSO4 are real, isolable 2+ compounds.
| Element | Ytterbium |
|---|---|
| Symbol | Yb |
| Atomic number | 70 |
| Common ionic charge | +2, +3 |
| Common ions | Yb2+, Yb3+ |
Visual reference
Ytterbium element image and atomic model
Images are used as visual references; charge rules still depend on the compound.
The electron story behind Ytterbium's charge
Ytterbium is [Xe]4f14 6s2. Drop the two 6s electrons and the f shell stays perfectly full — the same closed-shell logic that stabilizes Eu2+ at half-filled f7 works for Yb2+ at f14. The +3 state (f13) still wins in water, but by a smaller margin than for most lanthanides.
This is a classroom reference range, not an exhaustive list of all oxidation states.
The assumption that trips people up on Ytterbium
Forgetting which lanthanides break the +3 monopoly. The memorable trio: Ce (+4, empty f0), Eu (+2, half f7), Yb (+2, full f14) — each exception buys a filled-shell milestone. Everything else in the row is +3 for practical purposes.
Worked example: Yb in a formula problem
Yb2+ and Yb3+ in real compounds
YbCl2
Ytterbium chloride
Yb2+ balances chloride ions.
YbO
Ytterbium oxide
Ytterbium can form oxides where total positive and negative charge balances.
Questions students ask about ytterbium
Why are ytterbium atomic clocks in the news?
Optical lattice clocks holding thousands of neutral Yb atoms now beat cesium's precision by orders of magnitude — losing a second in the age of the universe. The candidate for redefining the SI second.
What does Yb3+ do in industrial lasers?
Yb-doped fiber lasers dominate metal cutting and welding: the ion's simple two-level f structure wastes almost no pump energy as heat, letting multi-kilowatt beams run from a spool of glass fiber.
Is ytterbium another Ytterby element?
The fourth and last: yttrium, terbium, erbium, ytterbium all honor that one Swedish quarry — four names, one village, and a family of +3 (mostly) ions.
How do I use this charge in formulas?
Combine positive and negative ions so the total charge is zero — or let the ionic compound calculator do the crossing for you. The full chart lives on the periodic table with charges.
Where this data comes from
Charges and element facts on this page are checked against the primary references below. Found an error? Email hello@periodictablewithcharges.com — corrections ship in the next content update. See how this site is edited.