aimless
Member
+166|6604|Texas
There is one in my room. My lease says its ok to smoke in my room. Won't it set it off? Or does it go off only with a large concentration of smoke?

It's too cold to go outside.
Locoloki
I got Mug 222 at Gritty's!!!!
+216|7120|Your moms bedroom
if it goes off take the batteries out. Just remember to put them back in after

unless your fishbowling it shouldnt set it off

is it a fancy one that automatically calls help, or just one that operates with batteries?

smoke near a window with it cracked

there really is only one way to find out
Morpheus
This shit still going?
+508|6479|The Mitten
Wikipedia is your friend.

well, as to how they work.

On smoking, yea, try taking the batteries out...

Last edited by Morpheus1229 (2008-03-28 21:53:35)

EE (hats
argo4
Stand and Deliver
+86|6413|United States
quit smoking
S.Lythberg
Mastermind
+429|6926|Chicago, IL
optics, smoky air transmits less light.

if it's tied to a sprinkler system, it might use a heat trigger to set off the water
aimless
Member
+166|6604|Texas

Locoloki wrote:

if it goes off take the batteries out. Just remember to put them back in after

unless your fishbowling it shouldnt set it off

is it a fancy one that automatically calls help, or just one that operates with batteries?

smoke near a window with it cracked

there really is only one way to find out
It's some cheap one that's hardwired to the apartment's electrical setup. Wikipedia says only fancier ones can detect carbon monoxide smoke. So I'm guessing I'm ok.
CTD-CaptainBuck
BLEEDING BLUE
+71|7247|Tenn
smoke alarms from wat im seeing register like a breathalyzer(kinda). ok maybe not. it can tell when the air around it changes... cig smoke doesnt get extremely thick till after a while. unless u smoke right underneath it or could the room out u should be fine. once it accumulates on the sensor is when it goes off... compare cigarette smoke to fire smoke...
Nappy
Apprentice
+151|6709|NSW, Australia

once i went on a holiday and the smoke detector in the living room of the hotel room i was in went off when i was cooking
AWSMFOX
Banned
+405|6943|A W S M F O X
Suicide is only option.


ALso@question: magic.

Last edited by AWSMFOX (2008-03-28 22:50:00)

Stun_Gun
The Tom Cruise of BF2 pilots
+102|7252|California, US
Like this... there is a beam going thru it and when there are particles in the air. the beam relects and hits another sensor setting off the smoke detector

https://www.sas.org/tcs/weeklyIssues/2004-07-16/feature1/art/smokeDetector01.gif

A projected beam photoelectric smoke detector can use a single light source and photosensor to monitor a very large area. Most such detectors use a near-IR LED or laser diode as a light source.

The projected beam detector arrangement shown below uses a separate emitter and detector. There are also combination detector/emitters that use a single passive reflector. The distance "L" in the diagram below can be up to 100 meters (several hundred feet) in one commercial system..

https://www.sas.org/tcs/weeklyIssues/2004-07-16/feature1/art/smokeDetector02.gif

Last edited by Stun_Gun (2008-03-28 22:56:48)

AWSMFOX
Banned
+405|6943|A W S M F O X

AWSMFOX wrote:

magic
some_random_panda
Flamesuit essential
+454|6870

Some smoke detectors use a small radioactive sample (americium-241) and a detector.  Normally the alpha particles ionise the air between the detector and the source (think of the principle of a geiger counter, but this time the argon/whatever you use gas is air), but when smoke is present the ions attach themselves to the smoke particles, meaning that the ions can no longer move about as freely.  The voltage drops in the detector and this sets off the alarm.

https://media.urbandictionary.com/image/large/nerd-46422.jpg

Last edited by some_random_panda (2008-03-29 02:44:45)

max
Vela Incident
+1,652|7047|NYC / Hamburg

some_random_panda wrote:

Some smoke detectors use a small radioactive sample (americium-241) and a detector.  Normally the alpha particles ionise the air between the detector and the source (think of the principle of a geiger counter, but this time the argon/whatever you use gas is air), but when smoke is present the ions attach themselves to the smoke particles, meaning that the ions can no longer move about as freely.  The voltage drops in the detector and this sets off the alarm.

http://media.urbandictionary.com/image/ … -46422.jpg
thats how I learned it in physics class. Probs that method hasn't been used in centuries ...
once upon a midnight dreary, while i pron surfed, weak and weary, over many a strange and spurious site of ' hot  xxx galore'. While i clicked my fav'rite bookmark, suddenly there came a warning, and my heart was filled with mourning, mourning for my dear amour, " 'Tis not possible!", i muttered, " give me back my free hardcore!"..... quoth the server, 404.
_raab
Member
+28|6713|Western Aust.

max wrote:

some_random_panda wrote:

Some smoke detectors use a small radioactive sample (americium-241) and a detector.  Normally the alpha particles ionise the air between the detector and the source (think of the principle of a geiger counter, but this time the argon/whatever you use gas is air), but when smoke is present the ions attach themselves to the smoke particles, meaning that the ions can no longer move about as freely.  The voltage drops in the detector and this sets off the alarm.

http://media.urbandictionary.com/image/ … -46422.jpg
thats how I learned it in physics class. Probs that method hasn't been used in centuries ...
Yeah, thats how I learnt it too. I thought all smoke detectors contained a radioactive substance?
Mekstizzle
WALKER
+3,611|7101|London, England

AWSMFOX wrote:

AWSMFOX wrote:

magic
Surgeons
U shud proabbly f off u fat prik
+3,097|6969|Gogledd Cymru

Mek-Izzle wrote:

AWSMFOX wrote:

AWSMFOX wrote:

magic
I herd magiks too.
max
Vela Incident
+1,652|7047|NYC / Hamburg

_raab wrote:

max wrote:

some_random_panda wrote:

Some smoke detectors use a small radioactive sample (americium-241) and a detector.  Normally the alpha particles ionise the air between the detector and the source (think of the principle of a geiger counter, but this time the argon/whatever you use gas is air), but when smoke is present the ions attach themselves to the smoke particles, meaning that the ions can no longer move about as freely.  The voltage drops in the detector and this sets off the alarm.

http://media.urbandictionary.com/image/ … -46422.jpg
thats how I learned it in physics class. Probs that method hasn't been used in centuries ...
Yeah, thats how I learnt it too. I thought all smoke detectors contained a radioactive substance?
apparently not anymore
once upon a midnight dreary, while i pron surfed, weak and weary, over many a strange and spurious site of ' hot  xxx galore'. While i clicked my fav'rite bookmark, suddenly there came a warning, and my heart was filled with mourning, mourning for my dear amour, " 'Tis not possible!", i muttered, " give me back my free hardcore!"..... quoth the server, 404.
some_random_panda
Flamesuit essential
+454|6870

max wrote:

_raab wrote:

max wrote:


thats how I learned it in physics class. Probs that method hasn't been used in centuries ...
Yeah, thats how I learnt it too. I thought all smoke detectors contained a radioactive substance?
apparently not anymore
  And I thought that I could make a geiger counter out of my smoke detector.
Surgeons
U shud proabbly f off u fat prik
+3,097|6969|Gogledd Cymru

some_random_panda wrote:

max wrote:

_raab wrote:


Yeah, thats how I learnt it too. I thought all smoke detectors contained a radioactive substance?
apparently not anymore
  And I thought that I could make a geiger counter out of my smoke detector.
Our physics teacher keeps reminding us that if we took the alpha particle out of the smoke detector we could easily kill someone if they unfortunately ingested it.

I don't want to fail one of his tests
Mitch92uK
aka [DBS]Mitch92uK
+192|6715|United Kingdom
it's a combo of the radioactive stuff and a photo diode receiving a light source, which is blocked by the smoke, will trigger the alarm.
Freezer7Pro
I don't come here a lot anymore.
+1,447|6677|Winland

max wrote:

_raab wrote:

max wrote:


thats how I learned it in physics class. Probs that method hasn't been used in centuries ...
Yeah, thats how I learnt it too. I thought all smoke detectors contained a radioactive substance?
apparently not anymore
Ours has

Wikipedia wrote:

A smoke detector cannot detect carbon monoxide to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning unless it has an integrated carbon monoxide detector.
Three mentions of "carbon monoxide" in one sentence... Gotta be a new record.
The idea of any hi-fi system is to reproduce the source material as faithfully as possible, and to deliberately add distortion to everything you hear (due to amplifier deficiencies) because it sounds 'nice' is simply not high fidelity. If that is what you want to hear then there is no problem with that, but by adding so much additional material (by way of harmonics and intermodulation) you have a tailored sound system, not a hi-fi. - Rod Elliot, ESP
max
Vela Incident
+1,652|7047|NYC / Hamburg

Freezer7Pro wrote:

max wrote:

_raab wrote:


Yeah, thats how I learnt it too. I thought all smoke detectors contained a radioactive substance?
apparently not anymore
Ours has
But knowing you it's from the 80's or something
once upon a midnight dreary, while i pron surfed, weak and weary, over many a strange and spurious site of ' hot  xxx galore'. While i clicked my fav'rite bookmark, suddenly there came a warning, and my heart was filled with mourning, mourning for my dear amour, " 'Tis not possible!", i muttered, " give me back my free hardcore!"..... quoth the server, 404.
kylef
Gone
+1,352|6973|N. Ireland
Smoke detectors work through alpha particles. When this "line" of particles is disrupted an alarm sounds. These particles are extremely dangerous; I can't remember the name but someone was murdered by the fact that someone injected alpha particles into a glass of water - which he then drank. It sped up the the cancer process and he died very suddenly.

Hey, I guess Physics is useful for learning after all..
Surgeons
U shud proabbly f off u fat prik
+3,097|6969|Gogledd Cymru

kylef wrote:

Smoke detectors work through alpha particles. When this "line" of particles is disrupted an alarm sounds. These particles are extremely dangerous; I can't remember the name but someone was murdered by the fact that someone injected alpha particles into a glass of water - which he then drank. It sped up the the cancer process and he died very suddenly.

Hey, I guess Physics is useful for learning after all..
Only dangerous when inside you though, as they get absorbed by a few centimetres of air particles, and can't penetrate much.
tobz102
Member
+11|6419|UK
if your aloud to smoke in the room then its not a smoke detector, its whats known as a heat detector (Y)

Board footer

Privacy Policy - © 2025 Jeff Minard