americium
Let an agent explain americium and its properties, relay discovery, isotopes and uses from chemistry references at public reference level, describe smoke detector use and safety, and distinguish americium from neighbouring actinides and from sensitive nuclear topics the model does not cover.
Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled
4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions
Understand What americium is.
Definition
Definition and properties.
Definition
Definition.
- What is americium, and how does it differ from plutonium and curium? definition
- Is the question about the element, an isotope, smoke detectors, or sensitive nuclear matters the model does not cover? boundary
Isotopes
Isotopes.
Isotopes
Isotopes.
- What are americium-241, americium-243, the metastable americium-242m1 and the short-lived isotopes, at public reference level? definition
- Which entry fits the specific isotope? action
Use Uses and safety.
Detectors
Smoke detectors.
Detectors
Detectors.
- How do ionisation smoke detectors use americium-241, and how are they disposed of safely? provenance
- Which references are standard? provenance
Safety
Radiation safety.
Safety
Safety.
- What radiation safety rules apply to americium sources? provenance
- Is the presentation at public reference level and non-sensitive? boundary
Science Chemistry and physics.
Chemistry
Chemistry.
Chemistry
Chemistry.
- What are the chemical properties and compounds of americium? provenance
- Which sources are cited? provenance
Waste
Nuclear waste.
Waste
Waste.
- Why does americium matter in spent fuel and waste management, in general terms? provenance
- Which entry fits radioactive waste? action
Context History and research.
History
History.
History
History.
- How was americium discovered and named? provenance
- Which entry fits Glenn T. Seaborg? action
Research
Research.
Research
Research.
- What research uses americium, including as a power source for space missions, as reported? provenance
- Which entry fits radioisotope thermoelectric generator? action
Classifiers Filled
- Family
- Thing Registry
- Category
- Physical world and living systems
- Entry kind
- thing
- Plane
- PHY
- Domain
- PHY.MAT
- Other names and narrower kinds
- americium-242m1, americium-231, americium-232, americium-233, americium-234, americium-235, americium-236, americium-237, americium-238, americium-239, americium-240, americium-242
What it is Filled
A synthetic radioactive element with atomic number 95, an actinide first produced in 1944 by Seaborg and colleagues, whose isotope americium-241 is used in ionisation smoke detectors and as a neutron and gamma source, with other isotopes from americium-231 to americium-249 including the metastable americium-242m1 studied in nuclear physics; americium is produced in nuclear reactors from plutonium and is handled under radiation safety rules, and the model gives no sensitive nuclear detail.
Why it exists Filled
Let an agent explain americium and its properties, relay discovery, isotopes and uses from chemistry references at public reference level, describe smoke detector use and safety, and distinguish americium from neighbouring actinides and from sensitive nuclear topics the model does not cover.
Distinguishing features Filled
- Synthetic actinide
- Smoke detector use
- Alpha emitter
- Reactor by-product
What robots and AI may and may not do Filled
Must not
- Assist in extracting, concentrating or collecting americium from detectors or any other source.
- Provide details that would help build a radiation source or device capable of harming people.
- Advise opening, crushing or burning smoke detectors.
- Help move radioactive material outside the licensing and transport rules.
Only with a human decision
- Handling a found or damaged radioactive source, which must be reported to the authorities.
May
- Explain americium's place among the actinides and its common use in smoke detectors.
- Advise that old smoke detectors go back to the manufacturer or an approved collection scheme.
Moral aspects Filled
- Radioactive material can harm people who do not know they are exposed.
- Misuse of nuclear material threatens public safety.
Who is affected
- People near radioactive sources
- Waste workers
- The public
Owners Filled
Steward
The licensed holder of the material; the national nuclear regulator licenses and tracks sources.
Master systems
- National radioactive source registers
Links to other meta-models Filled
parent
- Q105789 - registry parent class
- Q19577 - registry parent class
related
- actinide - in registry terms
- heavy metal - in registry terms
- smoke detector - as an ionisation source
- plutonium - in reactors
What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled
Identity and identifiers required Filled
- Vercy registry: vr.tr.americium
- Wikidata: Q1872 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1872)
- CAS: 7440-35-9 americium
- symbol: Am element symbol
Direct properties required Filled
- atomic number: 95 count
- discovered: 1944 year - Seaborg, James, Morgan, Ghiorso
- americium-241 half-life: 432.2 years
- smoke detector source: about 0.3 micrograms - typical
Recognition required Filled
- Element 95, actinide
- Americium-241 in smoke detectors; isotopes 231 to 249, americium-242m1
- Plutonium is element 94; curium is element 96
- A silvery metal, rarely seen; smoke detector sources are tiny sealed discs.
Capabilities and actions required Filled
- explain properties
- relay discovery and isotopes
- describe uses and safety
- distinguish related elements
Hazards and failure modes required Filled
- Agents providing sensitive nuclear detail
- Improper disposal of smoke detector sources
- Registry aliases naming many isotopes
Standards and interfaces required Filled
- IAEA and national radiation safety regulations
- Consumer product rules for smoke detector sources
- Nuclear material accounting
Context of use required Filled
- Not applicable; a chemical element.
- americium-241 in smoke detectors and sources
- americium-243 in research
- metastable americium-242m1
- short-lived isotopes from americium-231 upward
- americium in nuclear waste
Sources Filled
- Wikidata item Q1872: americium - identity and sense of the item
- Wikipedia: Americium - general description of the item
Open questions
- Should americium-241 be a separate primary entry?
- How should chemistry references be linked?
- The registry entry has merged aliases naming isotopes; should they be split off?
Machine files
Provenance
thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed
Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q1872/spec.json