Question

The americium isotope ²⁴¹Am is used in smoke detectors. Describe the composition of a neutral atom of this isotope for proton, neutron, and electron?

Short answer

The numbers ofprotons,neutrons,and electronsin isotopes ²⁴¹Am are 95, 146, and 95 respectively.

Step-by-step solution

Number of neutrons in americium

The atomic mass of the americium isotope is 241.

We know that:

$\mathbf{Atomicmass}\mathbf{=}\mathbf{}\mathbf{Numberofneutrons}\mathbf{\left(}\mathbf{n}\mathbf{\right)}\mathbf{+}\mathbf{numberofprotons}\mathbf{\left(}\mathbf{p}\mathbf{\right)}\mathbf{}$

$$\begin{gathered} n=atomicmass-p \\ n=241-95 \\ n=146 \end{gathered}$$

Number of electrons in americium

In isotope Americium ²⁴¹Am, the number of protons is 95.

Since the number of electrons is equal to the number of protons:

Number of electrons = 95

Number of neutrons = 146.

Thus, the numbers ofprotons,neutrons,and electronsin isotopes ²⁴¹Am are 95, 146, and 95 respectively.