Americium
💨 In Your World
Americium is a synthetic radioactive element with a very important job: keeping you safe. A tiny amount of the isotope americium-241 is used in most household smoke detectors. The americium emits alpha particles, which ionize the air in a small chamber. When smoke enters the chamber, it disrupts the flow of ions, triggering the alarm. It is also used as a portable source of gamma rays and neutrons for industrial gauges.
📖 The Discovery Story
Americium was the fourth transuranic element to be discovered. It was produced in 1944 by the team of Glenn T. Seaborg at the University of California, Berkeley, by bombarding plutonium with neutrons in a nuclear reactor. The discovery was kept secret as part of the Manhattan Project. It was named "americium" after the Americas, in an analogy to its lanthanide neighbor, europium, which was named after Europe.
📊 Properties at a Glance
| Phase at STP | Solid |
| Melting Point | 1176 °C / 2149 °F |
| Boiling Point | 2011 °C / 3652 °F |
| Electron Configuration | [Rn] 5f⁷7s² |
| Abundance in Earth's Crust | Essentially zero |
⚠️ Safety & Handling
Americium is highly radioactive. While the tiny, sealed source in a smoke detector poses no threat, larger quantities are a significant radiological hazard. If ingested or inhaled, it accumulates in the bones and tissues, where its alpha radiation can cause cancer. It must be handled only in specialized glove boxes in a nuclear facility.