The reactions of ytterbium (Yb) with a series of halomethanes (RX) have been studied in a beam plus gas arrangement. The unrelaxed YbX products are detected by cw tunable dye laser excitation. Prominent sequences belonging to the YbX (A 2∏1/2−X 2Σ+) band systems are readily identified in the region 5350–6450 Å. The vibrational state distributions exhibited by the YbX products are characteristically bell-shaped, suggesting a direct reaction mechanism. Moreover, the fraction of energy released into YbX product vibration is found to increase with the reaction exoergicity and with the degree of halogenation in RX. These systematic trends in the energy partitioning are correlated with recent results from the well-studied alkali and alkaline-earth analogs.