{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.erbium","code":"thing-q1849","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/q1849/","name":"erbium","alternateNames":["erbium-162","erbium-163","erbium-164","erbium-165","erbium-166","erbium-167","erbium-168","erbium-169","erbium-170","erbium-171","erbium-172","erbium-173"],"kind":"thing","status":"published","version":"0.2.0-wave.3","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"Physical world and living systems","entryKind":"thing","plane":"PHY","domain":["PHY.MAT"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":[],"facets":{}},"whatItIs":"A chemical element with symbol Er and atomic number 68, a silvery lanthanide obtained from monazite, xenotime and ion-adsorption clays, whose pink-coloured compounds are used to tint glass and ceramics and whose ions amplify light in erbium-doped fibre amplifiers that carry internet traffic over optical fibre, as well as in medical and dental lasers and as a neutron absorber; erbium has six stable isotopes from erbium-162 to erbium-170 and is named after the Swedish village of Ytterby.","purpose":"Let an agent identify erbium and its properties, relay isotopes, production and uses from reference sources, explain its role in fibre optics and lasers, and distinguish it from neighbouring lanthanides.","scope":{"in":[],"out":[],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["Optical amplification at 1550 nm","Pink compounds","Laser uses","Ytterby naming"],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"identify","name":"Identify","description":"What erbium is.","layers":[{"id":"properties","name":"Properties","description":"Properties.","findings":[{"id":"properties-finding","name":"Properties","description":"Properties.","questions":[{"text":"What are the physical and chemical properties of erbium?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Is the question about erbium or a neighbouring lanthanide?","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"isotopes","name":"Isotopes","description":"Isotopes.","findings":[{"id":"isotopes-finding","name":"Isotopes","description":"Isotopes.","questions":[{"text":"Which isotopes exist, and how are they used?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Which entry fits the specific isotope?","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"source","name":"Source","description":"Occurrence and production.","layers":[{"id":"occurrence","name":"Occurrence","description":"Occurrence.","findings":[{"id":"occurrence-finding","name":"Occurrence","description":"Occurrence.","questions":[{"text":"Where does erbium occur, and how is it separated?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits rare earth mining?","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"supply","name":"Supply","description":"Supply.","findings":[{"id":"supply-finding","name":"Supply","description":"Supply.","questions":[{"text":"Who produces erbium, and how is it traded, with sources?","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"Which sources are cited?","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]},{"id":"use","name":"Use","description":"Uses.","layers":[{"id":"optics","name":"Optics","description":"Fibre optics and lasers.","findings":[{"id":"optics-finding","name":"Optics","description":"Optics.","questions":[{"text":"How do erbium-doped fibre amplifiers and erbium lasers work, and where are they used?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits optical amplifier?","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"other","name":"Other","description":"Glass, ceramics and nuclear.","findings":[{"id":"other-finding","name":"Other","description":"Other.","questions":[{"text":"How is erbium used in colouring, alloys and neutron absorption?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which references are standard?","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]},{"id":"context","name":"Context","description":"History.","layers":[{"id":"discovery","name":"Discovery","description":"Discovery.","findings":[{"id":"discovery-finding","name":"Discovery","description":"Discovery.","questions":[{"text":"How was erbium discovered by Mosander in 1843 and named after Ytterby?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits Ytterby?","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"telecom","name":"Telecom","description":"Telecommunications history.","findings":[{"id":"telecom-finding","name":"Telecom","description":"Telecom.","questions":[{"text":"How did the erbium-doped fibre amplifier transform long-distance communications in the 1990s?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits the history of fibre optics?","kind":"action"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["Explain erbium's properties and its use in optical amplifiers and glass colouring.","Report supply and production figures with source and year."],"mustNot":["Claim medical effects for erbium compounds or for lasers that use them.","Advise handling erbium powders or compounds without proper protection.","Hide sourcing from operations with known environmental or labour problems.","Operate a laser containing erbium above the safe class without authorization."],"requiresHuman":["Any clinical use of erbium lasers on a person."]},"ethics":{"considerations":["Rare earth separation generates waste that has harmed land and water near plants.","Erbium lasers are used on skin and teeth, where misuse causes burns."],"affectedParties":["Communities near processing sites","Patients treated with such lasers","Workers handling compounds"]},"owners":{"steward":"The holder of each stock; mining rights are granted by the state where it is mined.","roles":[],"masterSystems":[]},"relations":[{"target":"Q105789","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"},{"target":"Q19569","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"},{"target":"lanthanide","type":"related","note":"in registry terms"},{"target":"heavy metal","type":"related","note":"in registry terms"},{"target":"erbium-doped fiber amplifier","type":"related","note":"the key telecom device"},{"target":"holmium","type":"related","note":"element 67"}],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":["Vercy registry: vr.tr.erbium","Wikidata: Q1849 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1849)","symbol: Er","CAS: 7440-52-0"]},"properties":{"applicability":"required","items":["atomic number: 68 Z","standard atomic weight: 167.259 u","melting point: 1529 degrees C","stable isotopes: 6 count - Er-162, 164, 166, 167, 168, 170"]},"recognition":{"applicability":"required","items":["Element 68, symbol Er","Lanthanide of fibre amplifiers and pink glass","Holmium and thulium are the neighbouring lanthanides","A soft silvery metal; its compounds are pink."]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["relay properties and isotopes","explain production and uses","explain fibre optic role","distinguish from other lanthanides"]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Supply concentration","Laser safety","Confusing with neighbouring lanthanides"]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["Chemical safety data sheets","Medical device regulation for erbium lasers","Rare earth trade rules"]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["Fibre amplifiers, lasers, glass colouring and specialised uses.","erbium metal","erbium compounds such as the oxide","stable isotopes from erbium-162 to erbium-170 and radioactive isotopes","erbium-doped fibre and lasers","erbium in glass, ceramics and alloys"]}},"sources":[{"title":"Wikidata item Q1849: erbium","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1849","note":"identity and sense of the item"},{"title":"Wikipedia: Erbium","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erbium","note":"general description of the item"}],"openQuestions":["Should the fibre amplifier be the primary linked entry?","How should reference data be linked?","The registry entry has merged aliases naming isotopes; should they be split off?"],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-q1849/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-q1849/spec.json"],"providers":["Claude"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-09-13T01:10:31Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"filled","ethics":"filled","owners":"filled","relations":"filled","interaction.identity":"filled","interaction.properties":"filled","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"filled"},"notes":{"_gate":"Published through the thing publication gate 1.0 on 2026-10-06T19:51:55+00:00: completeness 1.00; sense: Wikidata description; 2 live sources; review by codex: pass"},"score":1.0}}