The Element Terbium

Terbium also comes in to the category of rare earth metals which is soft enough to be cut with a knife even though it is reasonably stable in air. Again this element can never be found as a free element under natural conditions. Cerite, monazite and gadolinite contain significant amounts of Terbium and they are used as the commercial sources for extraction.

Terbium is used for fuel cells that can be operated in elevated temperatures. It is also used as an alloy metal and used in making electronic devices. Same as some of the other rare earth metals, Terbium is also used for making TV tubes and fluorescent bulbs.

Atomic Number & Chemical Properties

Element Basics:

Chemical Symbol: Tb
Atomic Number: 65
Atomic Weight: 158.92534
Element Classification: Rare Earth Element (Lanthanide Series)
Discovered By: Carl Mosander
Date of Discovery: 1843 (Sweden)
Origin of Name: Named after Ytterby, a village in Sweden.

How to Recognize it at a Party:

Soft, ductile, silvery-gray, rare-earth metal

Seriously Atomic Information:

Density (g/cc): 8.229
Melting Point (°K): 1629
Boiling Point (°K): 3296
Atomic Radius (pm): 180
Atomic Volume (cc/mol): 19.2
Covalent Radius (pm): 159
Ionic Radius: 84 (+4e) 92.3 (+3e)
Pauling Negativity Number: 1.2
First Ionizing Energy (kJ/mol): 569
Oxidation States: 4, 3
Electronic Configuration: [Xe] 4f9 6s2

Getting Intimate with Terbium:

Lattice Structure: Hexagonal (HEX)
Lattice Constant (Å): 3.600
Lattice C/A Ratio: 1.581
Specific Heat (@20°C J/g mol): 0.183
Fusion Heat (kJ/mol): n/a
Evaporation Heat (kJ/mol): 389
Thermal Conductivity (@25°C W/m K):
Debye Temperature (°K): n/a

Society's Questions About Terbium:

Have you ever wondered what everyone else in the world thinks about Terbium? Is anyone else looking for it too? If so, why? What do they want?

The following list shows the most common online questions about the element Terbium. Are your questions the same or different from everyone else's?

About the Element...

About the Chemical Elements:
# 1-59