Erbium vs. Terbium

Erbiumnoun

A chemical element (symbol Er) with atomic number 68: a silvery-white metal, in nature always found in combination with other elements.

Terbiumnoun

A metallic chemical element (symbol Tb) with an atomic number of 65: a soft, silvery-white, rare earth metal that is malleable and ductile.

Erbiumnoun

(countable) A single atom of this element.

Terbiumnoun

A rare metallic element, found in certain minerals, as gadolinite and samarskite, with other rare earths such as ytterbium. Symbol Tb. Atomic number 65. Atomic weight 158.925.

Erbiumnoun

A rare earth element of the lanthanide series associated with several other rare elements in the mineral gadolinite from Ytterby in Sweden. Symbol Er. It has atomic number 68 and an atomic weight of 167.26. The pure element is metallic with a bright, silvery luster. It is relatively stable in air, not oxidizing as quickly as some other rare earths. Its salts are rose-colored and give characteristic spectra, and the pink oxide has been added as a colorant in glass and porcelain enamel glazes. Its sesquioxide Er2O3 is called erbia.

Terbiumnoun

a metallic element of the rare earth group; used in lasers; occurs in apatite and monazite and xenotime and ytterbite

Erbiumnoun

a trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; occurs with yttrium

Terbium

Terbium is a chemical element with the symbol Tb and atomic number 65. It is a silvery-white, rare earth metal that is malleable, and ductile.

Erbium

Erbium is a chemical element with the symbol Er and atomic number 68. A silvery-white solid metal when artificially isolated, natural erbium is always found in chemical combination with other elements.