Ytterbium Electron Configuration
Orbital diagram
- Valence electrons
- 2
- Unpaired electrons
- 0
- Block
- f-block
- Magnetism (atom)
- diamagnetic
Electrons per shell
| K (n = 1) | 2 |
|---|---|
| L (n = 2) | 8 |
| M (n = 3) | 18 |
| N (n = 4) | 32 |
| O (n = 5) | 8 |
| P (n = 6) | 2 |
Ytterbium ion configurations
| Ion | Electrons | Configuration |
|---|---|---|
| Yb3+ | 67 | [Xe] 4f14 |
| Yb2+ | 68 | [Xe] 4f14 |
How to write it
Place 70 electrons into subshells in the Aufbau order (1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, 3d, 4p, 5s, 4d, 5p, 6s, 4f, 5d, 6p, 7s, 5f, 6d, 7p), filling s with 2, p with 6, d with 10 and f with 14. Ytterbium sits in period 6, in the f-block, so its last electron enters a f subshell. Replacing the inner electrons with the previous noble gas gives the shorthand [Xe] 4f14 6s2.
Try ytterbium and its ions in the calculator, or see the full ytterbium data sheet.
Ytterbium electron configuration FAQ
What is the electron configuration of ytterbium?
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 5s² 5p⁶ 4f¹⁴ 6s². Shorthand (noble gas) notation: [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 6s².
What is the noble gas configuration of ytterbium?
[Xe] 4f¹⁴ 6s². The bracket stands for the Xe core electrons.
How many valence electrons does ytterbium have?
2 (2 in the outer s subshell).
How many unpaired electrons does ytterbium have?
0 in the ground state, following Hund’s rule. With all electrons paired, the atom is diamagnetic.
What is the electron configuration of Yb3+?
[Xe] 4f¹⁴ (67 electrons).
What is the electron configuration of Yb2+?
[Xe] 4f¹⁴ (68 electrons).