Reaction of ytterbium with air

Ytterbium metal tarnishes slowly in air and burns readily to form ytterbium (III) oxide, Yb₂O₃.

4Yb + 3O₂ 2Yb₂O₃

Reaction of ytterbium with water

The silvery white metal ytterbium is quite electropositive and reacts slowly with cold water and quite quickly with hot water to form ytterbium hydroxide, Yb(OH)₃, and hydrogen gas (H₂).

2Yb(s) + 6H₂O(g) 2Yb(OH)₃(aq) + 3H₂(g)

Reaction of ytterbium with the halogens

Ytterbium metal reacts with all the halogens to form ytterbium(III) halides. So, it reacts with fluorine, F₂, chlorine, Cl₂, bromine, I₂, and iodine, I₂, to form respectively ytterbium(III) bromide, YbF₃, ytterbium(III) chloride, YbCl₃, ytterbium(III) bromide, YbBr₃, and ytterbium(III) iodide, YbI₃.

2Yb(s) + 3F₂(g) 2YbF₃(s) [white]

2Yb(s) + 3Cl₂(g) 2YbCl₃(s) [white]

2Yb(s) + 3Br₂(g) 2YbBr₃(s) [white]

2Yb(s) + 3I₂(g) 2YbI₃(s) [white]

Reaction of ytterbium with acids

Ytterbium metal dissolves readily in dilute sulphuric acid to form solutions containing the colourless aquated Yb(III) ion together with hydrogen gas, H₂. It is quite likely that Yb³⁺(aq) exists as largely the complex ion [Yb(OH₂)₉]³⁺

2Yb(s) + 3H₂SO₄(aq) 2Yb³⁺(aq) + 3SO₄^2-(aq) + 3H₂(g)

Reaction of ytterbium with bases