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Most smoke detectors which operate alarms contain an artificially produced radioisotope: americium-241 in the form of americium dioxide. Americium-241 is made in nuclear reactors, and is a decay product of plutonium-241. It emits mostly alpha particles and relatively little harmful gamma radiation. The amount of americium in a typical new smoke detector is 1 microcurie or about 0.29 micrograms. The smoke detector works by using the americium as a source of ionizing radiation to ionize the air in an ionization chamber between two electrodes. The slightly ionized air allows a small current to be conducted between the two electrodes. When smoke enters the chamber, it absorbs some of the ionizing radiation, reducing or eliminating the current and triggering the alarm.
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What term indicates the process in which unstable nuclide release radiation?
If it is related to Nuclear studies, then the answer would be fusion.
What type of radioactive decay releases energy from the nucleus without a change of protons neutrons?
This is a gamma-decay.
What type of reaction results in the change of protons and neutrons?
radioactive decay
The half-life of a radioactive element is?
The time it takes for half of the atoms in a sample of a radioactive element to decay.
Do smoke detectors use infrared rays?
Some smoke detectors use infrared rays to detect smoke particles in the air. When smoke enters the detector, it scatters the infrared light, triggering the alarm. This technology is often found in photoelectric smoke detectors.
Geothermal energy is caused by what type of decay?
It is Radioactive Decay.
What term indicates the process in which unstable nuclide release radiation?
If it is related to Nuclear studies, then the answer would be fusion.
What type of radioactive decay the largest and most damaging particles?
alpha decay
What type of radioactive decay results in uranium becoming thorium?
Alpha decay
When radioactive decay occurs a atom is always produced by the action?
During any type of radioactive decay, one isotope (type of atom) will convert into a different isotope.
What determines the type of radioactive decay that occurs?
Rutherford
How many type of smoke detectors?
There are basically two types of smoke detector; one type measures the opacity of the air to literally "see" if there is smoke. The other type tests for ionization that occurs when there is a fire. That type smoke detector uses a small radioactive chip to determine if freshly ionized smoke is present. It's a far more accurate means of determining the presence of fire and associated hazardous smoke. Many smoke detectors use a combination of both detectors. A separate type of detector is the carbon monoxide detector, which senses the presence of harmful carbon monoxide in the air. Most will even indicate the percentage of carbon monoxide. Note that carbon monoxide is typically present when a furnace or other heating device malfunctions.
Is technetium a synthetic element used in smoke detectors?
Yes, technetium is a synthetic element, but it is rarely used in smoke detectors. The element americium is more commonly used in smoke detectors because of its radioactivity, which helps detect smoke particles in the air.
What type of radioactive decay results in uranium-238 becoming thorium-234?
Alpha decay
What do Small radioactive sources that are present in smoke detectors release?
Radioactive sources release some form of radiation, in the case of smoke detectors the specific type will be alpha radiation- most likely from americium 241. The alpha radiation is a helium nucleus which is highly ionizing but is fairly safe since it can only travel around about 5cm in the air, the act of a stream of alpha radiation being intercepted by CO2 cuts a circuit and is how the CO2 is detected.
What type of radioactive decay resulted in uranium 238 becoming thorium 234 and how do you know?
This is an alpha decay.
What type of radioactive decay releases energy from the nucleus without a change of protons neutrons?
This is a gamma-decay.
