What is the half-life of americium-241?
Its most stable isotope, americium-243, has a half-life of over 7,500 years, although americium-241, with a half-life of 470 years, was the first isotope to be isolated.
What is the daughter isotope after the alpha decay of americium-241?
neptunium-237
The first decay product of americium- 241 is neptunium-237, which also decays and forms other daughter elements. The decay process continues until the stable element bismuth is formed.
Does americium-241 have a long half-life?
Americium-241 (241Am, Am-241) is an isotope of americium. Like all isotopes of americium, it is radioactive, with a half-life of 432.2 years….Americium-241.
| General | |
|---|---|
| Half-life | 432.2 years |
| Parent isotopes | 241Pu (β−) 241Cm (EC) 245Bk (α) |
| Decay products | 237Np |
| Isotope mass | 241.056829144 u |
How is americium 241 created?
Americium-241 is formed in the environment by the decay of plutonium contamination from nuclear weapons production and testing. Americium-241 is an unstable isotope. As americium decays, it releases radiation and forms “daughter” elements.
What is the formula for americium 241?
Am
Americium-241
| PubChem CID | 104726 |
|---|---|
| Structure | Find Similar Structures |
| Molecular Formula | Am |
| Synonyms | Americium-241 Americium 241 UNII-SK9YL6NK5M SK9YL6NK5M 14596-10-2 More… |
| Molecular Weight | 241.05683 |
Which isotope is the daughter isotope in this nuclear equation?
The daughter isotope is carbon-12. Write the nuclear equation that represents the radioactive decay of technetium-133 by beta particle emission and identify the daughter isotope.
What is the resulting material left after AM-241 undergoes its decay?
The decay process continues until stable bismuth is formed. The radiation from the decay of americium-241 and its daughters is in the form of alpha particles, beta particles, and gamma rays.
How is americium-241 created?
What is the formula for americium-241?
How is americium-241 used in smoke detectors?
Ionization chamber smoke detectors contain a small amount of americium-241, a radioactive material. Smoke particles disrupt the low, steady electrical current produced by radioactive particles and trigger the detector’s alarm. They react quickly to fires that give off little smoke.
What family does americium belong to?
Actinides
Fact box
| Group | Actinides | Melting point |
|---|---|---|
| Period | 7 | Boiling point |
| Block | f | Density (g cm−3) |
| Atomic number | 95 | Relative atomic mass |
| State at 20°C | Solid | Key isotopes |
What is the half life of americium-241?
Beta particles are generally absorbed in the skin and do not pass through the entire body. The time in which half the atoms of a radioactive substance disintegrate to another nuclear form is known as the half-life. The half-life of americium-241 is about 432 years.
Which is the daughter nuclide of americium 241?
It is emitted as a decay product of many radionuclides predominantly of atomic number greater than 82. For example, the radionuclide americium-241 ( 241 Am) decays by alpha-particle emission to yield the daughter nuclide 237 Np according to the following equation:
How is americium-241 formed in the environment?
Americium-241 is formed in the environment by the decay of plutonium contamination from nuclear weapons production and testing. Americium-241 is an unstable isotope. As americium decays, it releases radiation and forms “daughter” elements.
How does americium 241 work in a smoke detector?
A common type is ionization smoke detector which contains a small amount of americium-241 as an oxide. Americium-241 emits alpha particles and low energy gamma rays. The alpha particles emitted by the Am-241 collide with the oxygen and nitrogen in air within the detector’s ionization chamber to produce charged particles (ions).