A small amount of americium-241 is used in smoke detectors. A stream of radiation flows between two electrodes. If smoke interrupts the stream, the alarm goes off. What feature of the radioisotope americium-241 would be most helpful for the smoke detector to work?

A smoke detector needs its americium source to keep producing radiation reliably for many years. A long half-life means americium-241 decays slowly, so its radiation output remains useful over time. A short half-life would make the source weaken sooner.

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