How do smoke alarms detect smoke? (part 1)

#156

When smoke alarms aren't beeping at us to replace their batteries, they are sitting, watching, waiting for the perfect moment, waiting for smoke to happen so they can alert us that a fire may be happening. But how on earth do they detect the presence of smoke? How do they only react to smoke and nothing else? What is going on inside of our little circular, protective friends? Let's find out.

References from this episode

1. https://www.nist.gov/how-do-you-measure-it/how-do-smoke-detectors-work#:~:text=Smoke%20alarms%20detect%20fires%20by,to%20safety%20and%20call%20911.
2. https://www.compoundchem.com/2019/11/20/iypt095-americium/
3. https://cen.acs.org/materials/Chemistry-Pictures-Americium-beautiful/99/web/2021/07
4. https://www.epa.gov/radtown/americium-ionization-smoke-detectors
5. https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Staying-safe/Safety-equipment/Smoke-alarms/Ionization-vs-photoelectric

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