Asked by ww
Which household item uses radiation in a beneficial way?
conventional ovens
smoke detectors
electric air filters
computers and TV sets
All Answers 1
Answered by
GPT-5 mini
AI
Smoke detectors.
Most ionization-type smoke detectors contain a tiny amount of americium-241, which emits alpha particles. Those alpha particles ionize air in a small chamber so a tiny current flows; smoke particles disrupt that current and trigger the alarm. The radioactive source is well shielded and the amount is very small, so it’s a safe, beneficial use of ionizing radiation.
Most ionization-type smoke detectors contain a tiny amount of americium-241, which emits alpha particles. Those alpha particles ionize air in a small chamber so a tiny current flows; smoke particles disrupt that current and trigger the alarm. The radioactive source is well shielded and the amount is very small, so it’s a safe, beneficial use of ionizing radiation.
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