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Reactions of Ytterbium
Reactions with water
Ytterbium is quite electropositive and reacts slowly with cold water and quite quickly with hot water to form ytterbium hydroxide and hydrogen gas.
  2Yb(s) + 6H2O(g)2Yb(OH)3(aq) + 3H2(g)
Reactions with air
Ytterbium is quite electropositive and reacts slowly with cold water and quite quickly with hot water to form ytterbium hydroxide and hydrogen gas.
  4Yb + 3O22Yb2O3
Reactions with halogens
Ytterbium metal reacts with all the halogens to form ytterbium(III) halides.
  2Yb(s) + 3F2(g)2YbF3(s)
  2Yb(s) + 3Cl2(g)2YbCl3(s)
  2Yb(s) + 3Br2(g)2YbBr3(s)
  2Yb(s) + 3I2(g)2YbI3(s)
Reactions with acids
Ytterbium metal dissolves readily in dilute sulphuric acid to form solutions containing the colourless aquated Yb(III) ion together with hydrogen gas.
  2Yb(s) + 3H2SO4(aq)2Yb3+(aq) + 3SO42-(aq) + 3H2(g)