Electrochemical behavior of ytterbium cations in a LiCl-KCl melt was investigated by electrochemical and UV-VIS absorption spectroscopy methods. In the LiCl-KCl melt, ytterbium exists with divalent and trivalent oxidation states. The electrochemical results showed that the electrochemical reactions of the Yb2+/3+ are reversible and controlled by their diffusion rates. UV-VIS absorption spectroscopy results indicate that the Yb2+ and Yb3+ ions in the LiCl-KCl melt have a few strong absorption bands below 400 nm. Additionally, the molar absorptivities of these electronic transitions of Yb2+ and Yb3+ in LiCl-KCl melt are reported. (C) 2015 The Electrochemical Society.