Americium is a synthetic radioactive actinide familiar through the tiny sealed sources used in many ionisation smoke detectors.
Atomic number
95
Category
Actinide
Period
7
Group
f-block
State
Solid
Fun facts about Americium
It is produced when plutonium absorbs neutrons in reactors.
Americium-241 emits alpha particles and low-energy gamma radiation.
Its chemistry commonly features the +3 oxidation state.
Common uses of Americium
Ionisation smoke detectors
Industrial gauges
Scientific neutron sources
Where Americium sits in the periodic table
Americium belongs to the actinide series in period 7 and the f-block of the periodic table. Under the conditions represented in this reference, its state is solid.
Quick chemistry revision
For quick revision, pair the symbol Am with atomic number 95 and the listed atomic mass [243]. The summary, facts, and uses above keep those element properties together in one reference.