In one common type of household smoke detector, the radioactive isotope americium-241 decays by alpha emission. The alpha particles produce a small electrical current because they are charged. If smoke enters the detector, it blocks the alpha particles, which reduces the current and causes the alarm to go off. The half-life of 241Am is 433 y, and its atomic weight is 241 g/mol. Typical decay rates in smoke detectors are 690 Bq. (a) Write the alpha decay reaction of 241Am and identify the daughter nucleus. (b) By how much does the alpha particle current decrease in 1.0 y due to the decay of the americium? How much in 50 y? (c) How many grams of 241Am are there in a typical smoke detector?

answer is: naturally occurring solid, inorganic compound or element is mineral.

minerals usually have crystalline form, that means than crystal constituents (atoms, molecules or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions.

for example magnetite is a mineral of iron oxide (fe₂o₃).

calcite is a carbonate mineral and the most stable polymorph of calcium carbonate (caco₃).

dolomite is an   carbonate mineral composed of calcium magnesium carbonate (camg(co₃)₂).

answer : one can design an experiment using a liquid and an additive that can be added to the liquid and observe the chemical changes in the reaction species.

one would need a beaker which is filled with a known amount of the liquid in which thermometer is placed to measure the temperature changes; after addition of the additive to the liquid solution one can note down the temperature change and find whether the reaction is endothermic or exothermic in nature. by subtracting the initial temperature value with the final temperature one can find the temperature changes.

various combinations of liquid and additive can be used. liquid in this case can be a known quantity of water and additives can be epsom salt or without epsom salt the experiment can be conducted to notice the changes. water and ice, hydrogen peroxide and dry yeast, vinegar and baking soda,etc.