| Reactions of Terbium |
 Reactions with water |
| Terbium is quite electropositive and reacts slowly with cold water and quite quickly with hot water to form terbium hydroxide
and hydrogen gas.
|
2Tb(s) + 6H2O(g) 2Tb(OH)3(aq) + 3H2(g) |
| Reactions with air |
| Terbium tarnishes slowly in air and burns readily to form a terbium oxide which has the approximate formula. |
| 8Tb(s) + 7O2(g)2Tb4O7(s) |
| Reactions with halogens |
| Terbium reacts with all the halogens to form terbium(III) halides. |
| 2Tb(s) + 3F2(g)2TbF3(s) |
| 2Tb(s) + 3Cl2(g)2TbCl3(s) |
| 2Tb(s) + 3Br2(g)2TbBr3(s) |
| 2Tb(s) + 3I2(g)2TbI3(s) |
| Reactions with acids |
| Terbium dissolves readily in dilute sulphuric acid to form solutions containing the very pale pink aquated Tb(III) together with hydrogen gas.
|
| 2Tb(s) + 3H2SO4(aq)2Tb3+(aq) + 3SO42-(aq) + 3H2(g) |
| |