noun
- A synthetic radioactive chemical element with atomic number 95, produced by bombarding plutonium with neutrons.
Usage: chemistry; physics; symbol: Am
Examples
- Americium is used in smoke detectors to ionize air and detect smoke particles.
- The element americium was first synthesized in 1944 at the University of California.
- Americium-241 is the most common isotope used in commercial applications.
- Scientists study americium to understand the properties of transuranium elements.
- The discovery of americium expanded the periodic table of elements.