ytterbite

Thân thiện

A geologist holds a dark sample of ytterbite in a rocky outcrop.

Definition

Noun: 1. A mineral source of rare earth elements: Ytterbite is a black mineral primarily composed of complex silicates containing several rare earth elements, including iron, beryllium, cerium, yttrium, and erbium. It was the original mineral from which the element yttrium was first isolated.

Usage

Ytterbite is a technical term used in geology, mineralogy, and chemistry. It refers specifically to the mineralogical specimen or source material. * The chemist analyzed the sample of ytterbite to isolate the new element. * This rare earth deposit is known for its ytterbite content.

Advanced Usage

• Historical Context: The name "ytterbite" is historically significant as it was the mineral in which the element yttrium was discovered in 1787. The mineral itself was named after the village of Ytterby in Sweden, where it was first found. The names of several other elements (erbium, terbium, ytterbium) also derive from this location and mineral.

Variants and Related Words

• Gadolinite: This is the more modern and commonly used name for the mineral historically called ytterbite. The terms are often used synonymously in scientific contexts.
  • The mineral gadolinite-(Y) is the yttrium-rich variety of this silicate mineral.

Synonyms

• Gadolinite (n): The contemporary mineralogical name.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a mineral that is a source of rare earths; consists of silicates of iron and beryllium and cerium and yttrium and erbium

Từ đồng nghĩa

• gadolinite