Chemical Element: americium

(Modern Latin: chemical element; a form of America; radioactive metal)

Chemical-Element Information

Symbol: Am
Atomic number: 95
Year discovered: 1944

Discovered by: Glenn Theodore Seaborg (1912-1999), American physicist; and co-workers, Albert Ghiorso (born July 15, 1915), Ralph A. James, and Leon O. Morgan at the war-time Metallurgical Laboratory of The University of Chicago.


  • Seaborg, and his co-workers, suggested the name americium, after the Americas; since its rare-earth homologue, europium, had been named for Europe.
  • It is used as the starting material for the production of curium, which is used in isotope power sources.

Name in other languages:

French: américium

German: Americium

Italian: americio

Spanish: americio


Information about other elements may be seen at this Chemical Elements List.

A special unit about words that include chemo-, chem- may be seen here.