Americium (Am): Fun Facts and Information About the Element

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Fun Facts about Americium

What is the symbol? Am
What is the atomic number? 95
What is the atomic weight? 243
What is the melting point in Celsius? 994
What is the boiling point in Celsius? 2607
What is the density (g/cm3)? 13.67
What year was it discovered? 1944
Who discovered the element? “Glenn T. Seaborg, Ralph A. James, Leon O. Morgan, Albert Ghiorso”
What group is the element in? 102
What is the electron configuration? [Rn] 5f7 7s2
What is the ionization energy? 5.9738
What element category is it in? Actinoids

Where is Americium Found?

Americium was the fourth transuranic element to be discovered; the isotope 241Am was identified by Seaborg, James, Morgan, and Ghiorso at the University of Chicago as the result of successive neutron capture reactions by plutonium isotopes in a nuclear reactor.

What is Americium Used For?

Am has been used as a portable source for gamma radiography. It has also been used as a radioactive glass thickness gauge for the flat glass industry and as a source of ionization for smoke detectors.

Resource by B.Sobey

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