Americium
Videos
Americium is a synthetic chemical element; it has symbol Am and atomic number 95. It is radioactive and a transuranic member of the actinide series in the periodic table, located under the lanthanide
A small disc of americium-241 metal under a microscope
The 60-inch cyclotron at the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, in August 1939
Americium was detected in the fallout from the Ivy Mike nuclear test.
Outside and inside view of an americium-based smoke detector
Plutonium
Videos
Plutonium is a chemical element; it has symbol Pu and atomic number 94. It is a silvery-gray actinide metal that tarnishes when exposed to air, and forms a dull coating when oxidized. The element norm
Americium
…after the heavier curium. The discovery was kept secret and released to the public only in November 1945. Most americium is produced by uranium or plutonium being bombarded with neutrons in nuclear reactors – one tonne of spent nuclear fuel contains about 100 grams of americium. It is widely used in commercial…
A sample of plutonium metal, shaped like a ring to prevent nuclear criticality
Various oxidation states of plutonium in solution
Plutonium pyrophoricity can cause it to look like a glowing ember under certain conditions.
Twenty micrograms of pure plutonium hydroxide