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americium Definition

☆ am·er·ic·ium (am′ər is̸h′ē əm, -is′-)

noun

a radioactive, metallic chemical element, one of the actinides, produced by the beta decay of an isotope of plutonium: symbol, Am; at. no., 95

Etymology: ModL, after Americ(a) + -ium: so named by Glenn T(heodore) Seaborg, one of its discoverers, by analogy with europium, the corresponding rare earth

americium Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • contain: The samples have been analyzed at the University of Bangor in Wales and found to contain americium, cesium and cobalt.
  • include: Examples include americium 241 used in smoke detectors and Polonium 210 used in dust detection and anti-static devices.