Symbol
Am
  
Cf
  
Group Number
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Period Number
7
  
7
  
Block
f block
  
f block
  
Element Family
Actinide
  
Actinide
  
Space Group Name
P63/mmc
  
P63/mmc
  
Interesting Facts
- Americium metal is produced by bombarding Plutonium with Neutrons.
- Americium metal was discovered as a by-product while testing an atomic bomb (Manhattan Project).
  
- Californium metal is very harmful and highly radioactive.
- Californium metal is the heaviest metal.
  
Sources
Obtained By Bombarding Plutonium with Neutrons
  
Made by Bombarding Curium with Helium Ions
  
History
  
  
Who Discovered
Glenn T. Seaborg, Ralph A. James, Leon O. Morgan, Albert Ghiorso
  
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
  
Discovery
In 1944
  
In 1950
  
Abundance
  
  
Uses & Benefits
- Americium metal is used in smoke detection alarms.
-
In the future, this metal has a potential to be used in batteries of spacecrafts.
  
- Californium metal has a very strong neutron emitter. It is used as a metal detector.
-
It also used as an identifier to check Water and oil layers in oil wells.
  
Industrial Uses
NA
  
Chemical Industry
  
Medical Uses
NA
  
NA
  
Other Uses
Alloys, Nuclear Research, Research Purposes
  
Alloys, Nuclear Research
  
Biological Properties
  
  
Toxicity
Toxic
  
Toxic
  
Present in Human Body
No
  
No
  
In Blood
0.00 Blood/mg dm-3
  
37
0.00 Blood/mg dm-3
  
37
In Bone
0.00 p.p.m.
  
36
0.00 p.p.m.
  
36
Boiling Point
2,607.00 °C
  
99+
1,470.00 °C
  
99+
Appearance
  
  
Physical State
Solid
  
Solid
  
Color
Silvery White
  
Silver
  
Luster
NA
  
NA
  
Hardness
  
  
Mohs Hardness
Not Available
  
Speed of Sound
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Optical Properties
  
  
Allotropes
No
  
No
  
α Allotropes
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
β Allotropes
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
γ Allotropes
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Chemical Formula
Am
  
Cf
  
Isotopes
  
  
Electronegativity
  
  
Pauling Electronegativity
Allred Rochow Electronegativity
Electropositivity
  
  
Pauling Electropositivity
Ionization Energies
  
  
1st Energy Level
578.00 kJ/mol
  
99+
608.00 kJ/mol
  
99+
2nd Energy Level
1,158.00 kJ/mol
  
99+
1,206.00 kJ/mol
  
99+
3rd Energy Level
2,132.00 kJ/mol
  
99+
2,267.00 kJ/mol
  
99+
4th Energy Level
3,493.00 kJ/mol
  
99+
3,599.00 kJ/mol
  
99+
Electrochemical Equivalent
3.02 g/amp-hr
  
17
3.12 g/amp-hr
  
15
Electron Work Function
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Other Chemical Properties
Ionization, Radioactive Isotopes, Radioactivity, Solubility
  
Corrosion, Ionization, Radioactive Isotopes, Radioactivity, Solubility
  
Electron Configuration
[Rn] 5f7 7s2
  
[Rn] 5f10 7s2
  
Crystal Structure
Double Hexagonal Close Packed (DHCP)
  
Double Hexagonal Close Packed (DHCP)
  
Crystal Lattice
DHCP-Crystal-Structure-of-Americium.jpg#100
  
DHCP-Crystal-Structure-of-Californium.jpg#100
  
Atom
  
  
Radius of an Atom
  
  
Covalent Radius
Not Available
  
Van der Waals Radius
Not Available
  
Atomic Volume
17.86 cm3/mol
  
29
Not Available
  
Adjacent Atomic Numbers
  
  
Valence Electron Potential
44.00 (-eV)
  
40
44.50 (-eV)
  
38
Lattice Angles
π/2, π/2, 2 π/3
  
π/2, π/2, 2 π/3
  
Lattice C/A Ratio
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Density
  
  
Density At Room Temperature
12.00 g/cm3
  
30
15.10 g/cm3
  
21
Tensile Strength
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Viscosity
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Vapor Pressure
  
  
Vapor Pressure at 1000 K
Not Available
  
Elasticity properties
  
  
Poisson Ratio
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Other Mechanical Properties
NA
  
Malleable, Sectile
  
Magnetic Characteristics
  
  
Magnetic Ordering
Paramagnetic
  
Paramagnetic
  
Electrical Properties
  
  
Resistivity
Not Available
  
Electrical Conductivity
0.02 10
6/cm Ω
  
99+
Not Available
  
Specific Heat
0.11 J/(kg K)
  
99+
Not Available
  
Molar Heat Capacity
62.70 J/mol·K
  
1
Not Available
  
Thermal Conductivity
10.00 W/m·K
  
99+
Not Available
  
Critical Temperature
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Thermal Expansion
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Enthalpy
  
  
Enthalpy of Fusion
14.39 kJ/mol
  
24
Not Available
  
Enthalpy of Atomization
268.00 kJ/mol
  
40
Not Available
  
Standard Molar Entropy
Not Available
  
Not Available