Page "Ytterbium" Paragraph 22

Natural ytterbium is composed of seven stable isotopes: < sup > 168 </ sup > Yb, < sup > 170 </ sup > Yb, < sup > 171 </ sup > Yb, < sup > 172 </ sup > Yb, < sup > 173 </ sup > Yb, < sup > 174 </ sup > Yb, and < sup > 176 </ sup > Yb, with < sup > 174 </ sup > Yb being the most abundant isotope, at 31. 8 % of the natural abundance ).

27 radioisotopes have been observed, with the most stable ones being < sup > 169 </ sup > Yb with a half-life of 32. 0 days, < sup > 175 </ sup > Yb with a half-life of 4. 18 days, and < sup > 166 </ sup > Yb with a half-life of 56. 7 hours.

All of its remaining radioactive isotopes have half-lives that are less than two hours and the majority of these have half-lives are less than 20 minutes.

Ytterbium also has 12 meta states, with the most stable being < sup > 169m </ sup > Yb ( t < sub > ½ </ sub > 46 seconds ).