Cm
Actinide
Curium
Z 96A 247mass 247
Slow-motion stage
Curium-244
proton
neutron
alpha particle (2p + 2n)
Parent nucleus · 244 nucleons
96 protons (coral) and 148 neutrons (blue) are packed together and held by the strong force.
A real decay takes about 10⁻²¹ s. At ⅓× this stage stretches it across eleven seconds.
Choose a reaction
Reaction
24496Cm24094Pu+42He
Two protons and two neutrons leave together as one helium nucleus.
Z
9694
-2
A
244240
-4
n⁰
148146
-2
Energy released
5.90MeV
Alpha particle5.805 MeV
Mass convertedE = Δm c²0.00634 u
In joules9.46 × 10-13 J
Compared with a bonda C–C bond is 3.6 eV≈ 1,639,444 ×
Half-life of Curium-244
18.1 years
So energetic that its alpha particles glow blue in air.
The particle
- Charge
- +2
- Mass
- 4 u
- Speed
- About 5% of the speed of light
- Ionising power
- Very high
- Stopped by
- Stopped by a sheet of paper or dead skin