Americium
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| General Properties | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atomic number | Predicted atomic mass | Half-life of longest living isotope | Electron Configuration | Density | Melting point | Boiling point | First discovered | |
| 95 | 243amu | Around 7,000 years | [Rn] 5f7 7s2 | 12g/cm3 | 1176°C | 2011°C | 1944 | |
| General Properties | |
|---|---|
| Atomic number | 95 |
| Atomic mass | 243amu |
| Half-life of longest living isotope | Around 7,000 years |
| Electron Configuration | [Rn] 5f7 7s2 |
| Density | 12g/cm3 |
| Melting point | 1176°C |
| Boiling point | 2011°C |
| First discovered | 1944 |
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Description and uses
Americium is the 95th element of the periodic table. It was discovered in 1944 by a research team led by Glenn Seaborg in America via neutron bombardment of
plutonium.
Americium's main use is in smoke detectors. Americium is a source of alpha particles, which charges air in the smoke detector, and completes a circuit. When
smoke fills the detector, the circuit is broken, and an alarm sounds.
Americium's longest living isotope is 243Am, with a half life of around 7 thousand years.