Terbium - chemistry.

Terbium - chemistry. Terbium, symbol Tb, metallic element with an atomic number of 65. Terbium is one of the rare earth elements in the lanthanide series of the periodic table (see Periodic Law). The elements terbium, erbium, yttrium, and ytterbium were all named for the town of Ytterby in Sweden, the location of a quarry that yielded several rare earth elements. Terbium was discovered in 1843 by the Swedish chemist Carl Gustav Mosander. It ranks about 58th in natural abundance among the elements in crustal rock. The element occurs in minute quantities as a white oxide known as terbia, Tb2O 3, in such minerals as monazite and gadolinite. Terbium has potential applications in alloys, refractory (high-temperature) materials, and electronic apparatus. Terbium melts at about 1356°C (about 2473°F), boils at about 3230°C (about 5846°F), and has a specific gravity of 8.23. The atomic weight of terbium is 158.925. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.