Chemical Element: terbium

(Modern Latin: named for Ytterby, a village in Sweden; rare earth)

Chemical-Element Information

Symbol: Tb
Atomic number: 65
Year discovered: 1843

Discovered by: Carl Gustav Mosander (1797-1858), a Swedish scientist.


  • Terbium was discovered by Carl Gustav Mosander in 1843.
  • He detected it as an impurity in yttria which is yttrium oxide.
  • Its existence was not confirmed for at least 30 years and pure compounds were not prepared until 1905.

Name in other languages:

French: terbium

German: Terbium

Italian: terbio

Spanish: terbio


Information about other elements may be seen at this Chemical Elements List.

A special unit about words that include chemo-, chem- may be seen here.