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It's usually americium-241. It undergoes alpha-decay with a half-life of about 400 years. Am-241 is artificially manufactured; it doesn't occur in nature.

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What is a radioactive element used is smoke detectors?

Americium 241


What element is used in smoke detectors and named for the US?

The element used in smoke detectors and named after the US is Americium (Am). It is a radioactive element commonly found in household smoke detectors to detect smoke particles in the air.


What synthetic element that is used in smoke detectors?

The synthetic element used in smoke detectors is Americium-241. It emits alpha particles that ionize the air within the smoke detector, causing a small electric current flow. When smoke particles disrupt this current, an alarm is triggered.


A synthetic element that is used in smoke detectors is?

Americium-241 this is an emitter of alpha radiation, which is used in smoke detectors as it is very ionising and will not be able to travel through smoke. Therefore, in a fire the detector will not receive any alpha radiation and hence the alarm will go off.


Why are radioactive elements commercially important?

A radioactive element is an element that emits radiation due to instability. They are commercially used in the generation of electricity in nuclear power plants and home smoke detectors among other things.


Is technetium a synthetic element used in smoke detectors?

Americium is the radioactive element used in ionization type smoke detectors. It is a by-product of the nuclear power industry. In the device, it is present as the oxide, which is rather chemically inert and has a high melting point. As a small capsule enclosed in metal foil. Your exposure to radiation from an ionization smoke detector is smaller than your exposure received by sleeping alongside your partner who is converting K40 into Ar40.


Is americium a base?

Americium is a chemical element, not a base.


What household item contains radioactive isotope americium 241?

Smoke detectors typically contain americium-241. This radioactive isotope is used to ionize the air in the detector, allowing it to detect smoke particles and trigger the alarm.


A synthetic element used in smoke detectors?

Americium (pronounced /ˌæməˈrɪsiəm/) is a synthetic element that has the symbol Am, the atomic number 95, and is used in smoke detectors.


Was uranium ever used in smoke detectors?

no. The most commonly used radioactive material is Americium


What is the element Am?

Americium is a synthetic element that has the symbol Am and atomic number 95. A radioactive metallic element, americium is an actinide that was obtained in 1944 by Glenn T. Seaborg who was bombarding plutonium with neutrons and was the fourth transuranic element to be discovered. It was named for the Americas, by analogy with europium. Americium is widely used in commercial ionization-chamber smoke detectors as well as in neutron sources and industrial gauges.


How long has americium been used in smoke detectors?

Americium has been used in smoke detectors since the 1950s. Its radioactive properties make it ideal for ionizing smoke particles in the detector, allowing it to quickly detect smoke and trigger the alarm.