{"id":247,"date":"2020-04-09T10:09:38","date_gmt":"2020-04-09T10:09:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thechemicalelements.com\/?page_id=247"},"modified":"2023-08-15T14:29:34","modified_gmt":"2023-08-15T14:29:34","slug":"americium","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thechemicalelements.com\/americium\/","title":{"rendered":"Americium (Am)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Americium is a transuranic element with the symbol Am and atomic number 95 in the periodic table of elements<\/a> that belongs to the family of actinides. This radioactive substance was discovered as the fourth synthetic transuranium element in the list of fifteen radioactive metallic elements that include actinium<\/a>, thorium<\/a>, protactinium<\/a>, uranium<\/a>, neptunium<\/a>, plutonium<\/a>, americium, curium<\/a>, berkelium<\/a>, californium<\/a>, einsteinium<\/a>, fermium<\/a>, mendelevium<\/a>, nobelium<\/a>, and lawrencium<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Chemical and Physical Properties of Americium <\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Property<\/strong><\/td>Value<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Symbol<\/td>Am<\/td><\/tr>
Atomic number<\/td>95<\/td><\/tr>
Atomic weight (mass)<\/td>(243) g.mol-1<\/td><\/tr>
Group (number)<\/td>None<\/td><\/tr>
Period<\/td>7<\/td><\/tr>
Color<\/td>Silvery-white soft synthetic metal<\/td><\/tr>
Physical state<\/td>Solid at room temperature<\/td><\/tr>
Half-life<\/td>432.2 years<\/td><\/tr>
Electronegativity according to Pauling<\/td>1.3<\/td><\/tr>
Density<\/td>13.67 g.cm-3 at 20\u00b0C<\/td><\/tr>
Melting point<\/td>994 \u00b0C<\/td><\/tr>
Boiling point<\/td>2607 \u00b0C<\/td><\/tr>
Van der Waals radius<\/td>Unknown<\/td><\/tr>
Ionic radius<\/td>Unknown<\/td><\/tr>
Isotopes<\/td>8<\/td><\/tr>
Most characteristic isotope<\/td>Americium-241, Americium-243<\/td><\/tr>
Electronic shell<\/td>[Rn] 5f7 7s2<\/td><\/tr>
The energy of the first ionization<\/td>578 kJ.mol-1<\/td><\/tr>
The energy of the second ionization<\/td>n\/a<\/td><\/tr>
Discovery date<\/td>In 1945, by Glenn Seaborg<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Americium is a synthetic (i.e. man-made) extremely radioactive soft silver<\/a> metal that is resistant to alkalis. With an atomic mass of (243) g.mol -1, electron configuration [Rn] 5f77s2, and an unknown atomic radius, this substance reacts with acids, air, and water vapor. Americium is a toxic and radiotoxic element that exhibits magnetism when exposed to both low and high temperatures. It easily reacts with oxygen<\/a> (O2) and radiates both alpha and gamma rays. In addition, it shares some thermodynamic properties with neptunium, plutonium, and uranium.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

How Was Americium Discovered?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Americium was discovered in 1944 by the University of Chicago chemists – Glenn T. Seaborg, Ralph James, Stanley <\/span>G. Thompson, Leon O. Morgan, and Albert Ghiorso (USA). The Argonne National Laboratory, i.e. the metallurgical laboratory at this American university was the place where americium was first distinguished as a chemical element. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was first introduced in 1945, during the Manhattan Project, a secret project of the U.S. government during World War II, aimed at making an atomic bomb.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

How Did Americium Get Its Name?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Americium was discovered in the United States and it’s named after North America<\/a>.<\/span> Another reason for being named after North America is the fact that americium comes under lanthanide europium<\/a> (Eu 63) in the periodic table of elements, which got its name after Europe. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, the name follows the pattern of naming newly discovered chemical elements after the countries of discovery or the scientists who have brought a new chemical element to the knowledge of the World. Other such names are the aforementioned europium, and curium (Cm), named after Marie and Pierre Curie.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Where Can You Find Americium?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Americium can be found in trace amounts in uranium minerals. It\u2019s also produced by bombarding plutonium-239 with neutrons in nuclear reactors. Having a half-life of 432.2 years, this chemical element has few practical applications, among which we find the production of nuclear fuel. It is also radioactive, and while small amounts of americium dioxide (AmO2) used in smoke detectors create alpha radiation to detect fire, americium will not irradiate humans.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Smoke Detectors<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Smoke detectors can often be the thin line between life and death when it comes to fire. Early signals of smoke reduce the chance of the most tragic scenario happening. Alarms detect and warn people of imminent danger at an early stage, giving them the necessary time to react or to run away from danger.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The smoke detector is one of those exceptional inventions that have a rather low price due to massive production. All smoke detectors consist of two basic parts:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n