Erbium is element number 68, with the symbol Er. Its name comes from part of the name of Ytterby, a village in Sweden.
Atomic number 68167.3
ErErbiumエルビウム (erubiumu)
Symbol
Er
Atomic weight
167.3
Place in the table
Period 6 · Lanthanoids
Atomic weight from the Chemical Society of Japan, “Table of Standard Atomic Weights with Four Significant Figures (2026)”.
From one village
Erbium was discovered in 1843, and was named from the same village’s name in the same year as terbium.
Where it sits on the table
The fifteen elements from lanthanum to lutetium are called the lanthanoids. On the Room of the Elements table they are in the upper of the two rows set apart at the bottom.
Think about it
Q1Why do you think two elements were named from the same village in the same year?
Q2Which parts of “Ytterby” do “erbium” and “terbium” come from?
Q3Can you name the four Ytterby elements?
There is no single right answer. Talking it over with someone at home is a good way to learn.
Did you know? — Elements named after Ytterby: yttrium (1794), terbium (1843), erbium (1843) and ytterbium (1878).