More info:
Americium is a synthetic radioactive element. It is located below Europium which is named after Europe so by analogy it was named Americium after the Americas. It is used in several different ways including in ionization smoke detectors, a neutron source in industrial gauges and it's possible for it to be used in nuclear batteries or as fuel for space ships with nuclear propulsion. When it is first prepared, it has a silvery white appearance but then slowly tarnishes when exposed to air because it reacts with oxygen. Since it is a highly radioactive element that emits alpha particles, it is harmful to life and it has been proposed to use bacteria and fungi to "remove" it from the environment.
More info about the International Year of the Periodic Table (IYPT) in crystals project:
This project (#IYPTCrystals) is part of the International Year of the Periodic Table celebration (#IYPT2019), read more about the project here. You can follow us on social media using #IYPTCrystals and learn more about the wonders of crystals by following the CCDC on Twitter @ccdc_cambridge on Facebook ccdc.cambridge, on Instagram ccdc_cambridge or on YouTube CCDCCambridge.
If you want to find out more about some of the terms and concepts we have a Frequently Asked Questions Page.