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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 5 page paper. The question was to discuss benefits and drawbacks of using radioactive ions in smoke detectors, according to any type of point of view, e.g., ethical. After reporting and discussing the research of both ionized and photoelectric smoke detectors, the writer finds there are no issues relative to the radioactive ions. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Page Count:
5 pages (~225 words per page)
File: MM12_PGionsmk.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
There is, however, a difference in the types of fires each kind of detectors is better at detecting. People hear the word radiation and immediately have negative thoughts, say nuclear
radiation and people begin thinking of early nuclear reactor accidents. No such thing can happen with smoke detectors that use radiation ions. The most common smoke detector in homes is
the one that operates an alarm that contains the radioisotope "americium-241," an element that actually was an accidental discovery during the Manhattan Project. This radioisotope is "made in nuclear reactors,
and is a decay product of plutonium-241" (World Nuclear Association, 2002) and as already stated, this is the composition of most residential smoke detector alarms. A very very small amount
of this radioactive material is used in smoke alarms (World Nuclear Association, 2002). Americium is the primary ingredient in residential smoke detector alarms but the amount is less than 35kBq
of americium-241, i.e., less than 1 milligram, (CableOrganizer, 2008; World Nuclear Association, 2002). This is a silvery metal that tarnishes slowly but that is soluble in acid and has a
"half-life of 432 years" (World Nuclear Association, 2002). In smoke detectors, the ion operates thusly: there are two metal plates in this type of detector, each of which is battery
charged with one plate having a positive charge and the other, a negative charge (CableOrganizer, 2008). The alarm works by ionizing the atoms of nitrogen and oxygen which will detect
smoke (CableOrganizer, 2008). When smoke comes between the two ion chambers holding the electrodes, it sets off a connection causing the detector to buzz or ring loudly because the smoke
has disrupted the normal charge between the two metal places (CableOrganizer, 2008; World Nuclear Association, 2002). In this type of detector, the ionization "responds to the movement through an electric
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