Name       : Ytterbium
Symbol     : Yb
Atomic #   : 70
Atom weight: 173.04
Melting P. : 819
Boiling P. : 1196
Oxidation  : +2, +3
Pronounced : i-TUR-bi-em
From       : Named for the Swedish village of Ytterby
Identified : Jean-Charles-Galinard de Marignac in 1878
Appearance : Silvery, lustrous, malleable, and ductile metal
Note       : Also known as aldebaranium and cassiopeium
             
[Properties]

  Ytterbium is a very soft, silvery-white metal. It is shiny when first cut,
but gradually takes on a somewhat duller appearance as the oxide forms due
to chemical reaction with air. This is a rare-earth metal that is part of
the lanthanide series of transition elements.
  The metal has at least two allotropic forms. The common, room-temperature
form has a face-centered cubic crystal. This transforms to a body-centered
form as the metal is heated above 978 degrees.