The smoke detector type that contains a small amount of radioactive material and functions by sensing a decrease in conductance of the air when smoke particles enter the chamber is theionization smoke detector. Ionization smoke detectors use a small amount of americium-241, a radioactive element, to ionize the air molecules inside a sensing chamber. This creates a low-level electric current between two electrodes. When smoke enters the chamber, it disrupts the ionized air and reduces the current flow. This triggers the alarm to sound.Ionization smoke detectors are more sensitive to small particles of smoke, such as those produced by flaming fires1.However, they may also be more prone to false alarms from cooking or steam, and they require proper disposal of the radioactive source2.
References:
Smoke Detector Types: Which Type of Smoke Detector Is Best? - X-Sense
How Does Your Smoke Detector Work? - ThoughtCo
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