Americium: Difference between revisions

Americium is used very frequently and every home in the United States has these and or should have fire detectors. In our household fire detectors there is artificially produced radioisotope Americium-241 which is usually made in nuclear reactors. Smoke detectors are a key role in household safety and protection.  There are two types of fire detectors but the ones that use americium are most popular and detect smoke by using a small piece of the element and projecting small amount of elements to sense the presence of smoke. <ref>U.S., Australian, and Canadian Nuclear safety Agencies. [http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf57.html Smoke Detectors and Americium]. ''World-Nuclear-Association''. Web. January 2009.</ref> The americium smoke detectors emit Am-241 of alpha particles and low gamma rays and takes the alpha particles being made to collide with the oxygen and nitrogen in the air inside of the ionization chamber to create charged ion particles. These ions being made flow across a small electrical charged line and when smoke enters the chamber and hinders the electrons and ions to flow and the alarm then is triggered. The radiation produced by the alarms is almost close to zero radiation harm to the occupants of the household. The particles are also absorbed into the detector itself to not harm others. The element Americium could as well be swallowed without hardly any harm to the individual.<ref>U.S., Australian, and Canadian Nuclear safety Agencies. [http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf57.html Smoke Detectors and Americium]. ''World-Nuclear-Association''. Web. January 2009.</ref> In this case Americium has a well-known use but maybe not known for the element by itself. Americium is a highly used and very useful item in the commercial use and has help protect many people by for warning them of a fire.