How to Measure Radiation
Know the units., Use a Geiger Counter., Use a MicroR meter which has a Sodium Iodide detector., Use a Neutron REM meter With a Proportional Counter., Use an Ion Chamber.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Know the units.
No measurement is useful if you don't know what the reading actually means.
Followed by the magnitude(the number) is a unit.There are many units which are used to measure radiation for different purposes.
In the United States, radiation absorbed dose, dose equivalent, and exposure are often measured and stated in the older units called rad, rem, or roentgen (R), respectively.
Sometimes these units prove to be too large to use practically so subunits like mrad (mili-rad which is one thousand times smaller than rad) and μrad (micro-rad which is a million times smaller than rad) are used.
The SI system of measure is the official system of measurement and defines two units to count radiation: gray (Gy) and sievert (Sv).
The conversion is as follows: 1 Gy = 100 rad 1 mGy = 100 mrad 1 Sv = 100 rem 1 mSv = 100 mrem -
Step 2: Use a Geiger Counter.
A Geiger counter has a Geiger-Mueller (G-M) Tube which is filled with gas which creates an electrical pulse which is converted to a reading and shown on the meter.
It may also have a speaker which turns each interaction into audible clicks.The common readout units are roentgens per hour (R/hr), milliroentgens per hour (mR/hr), rem per hour (rem/hr), millirem per hour (mrem/hr), and counts per minute (cpm)and is usually specified in the manual and is sometimes visible on the display.
You may also need a zinc sulfide (ZnS) scintillator probe if you meter doesn't have one built-in.
The scintillator probe is sensitive to alpha radiation.
A Geiger counter is the most popular radiation measurement tool in the field as it provides a relatively accurate and real-time measurement of the radioactivity in the surrounding area. , As a crystal of sodium iodide creates a flash of white light when struck by radiation, makes it a useful radiation detector.
A sensor converts the flash of light to an electrical signal.
This is used as a single channel detector to identify a radioactive substance.
MicroR meters also give an audible click when it detects radiation, making it useful to point out the direction of a radioactive substance substance.
Portable Multichannel Analyzers are coupled with a multichannel analyzer package and are becoming much more popular and cheap.These instruments automatically display the type of radiation which is present, making them useful when you don't know which type of radiation is present in the surroundings. , This device, as the name suggests creates an electrical pulse when a neutron interacts with the apparatus.These counters require a large amount of hydrogenous around them to slow the neutrons down as high speed neutrons will just whiz by without interacting at all. , An air filled chamber with electrically conductive walls along with a central anode which works at a relatively low voltage.
When x-rays or gamma rays interact with the air surrounding the anode, electrons are released which are collected by the anode.
The Anode then generates a small current which is measured by the meter and is displayed.The machine gives a reading related to the absorption of radiation by air which needs to be converted to a reading related to absorption by tissue -
Step 3: Use a MicroR meter which has a Sodium Iodide detector.
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Step 4: Use a Neutron REM meter With a Proportional Counter.
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Step 5: Use an Ion Chamber.
Detailed Guide
No measurement is useful if you don't know what the reading actually means.
Followed by the magnitude(the number) is a unit.There are many units which are used to measure radiation for different purposes.
In the United States, radiation absorbed dose, dose equivalent, and exposure are often measured and stated in the older units called rad, rem, or roentgen (R), respectively.
Sometimes these units prove to be too large to use practically so subunits like mrad (mili-rad which is one thousand times smaller than rad) and μrad (micro-rad which is a million times smaller than rad) are used.
The SI system of measure is the official system of measurement and defines two units to count radiation: gray (Gy) and sievert (Sv).
The conversion is as follows: 1 Gy = 100 rad 1 mGy = 100 mrad 1 Sv = 100 rem 1 mSv = 100 mrem
A Geiger counter has a Geiger-Mueller (G-M) Tube which is filled with gas which creates an electrical pulse which is converted to a reading and shown on the meter.
It may also have a speaker which turns each interaction into audible clicks.The common readout units are roentgens per hour (R/hr), milliroentgens per hour (mR/hr), rem per hour (rem/hr), millirem per hour (mrem/hr), and counts per minute (cpm)and is usually specified in the manual and is sometimes visible on the display.
You may also need a zinc sulfide (ZnS) scintillator probe if you meter doesn't have one built-in.
The scintillator probe is sensitive to alpha radiation.
A Geiger counter is the most popular radiation measurement tool in the field as it provides a relatively accurate and real-time measurement of the radioactivity in the surrounding area. , As a crystal of sodium iodide creates a flash of white light when struck by radiation, makes it a useful radiation detector.
A sensor converts the flash of light to an electrical signal.
This is used as a single channel detector to identify a radioactive substance.
MicroR meters also give an audible click when it detects radiation, making it useful to point out the direction of a radioactive substance substance.
Portable Multichannel Analyzers are coupled with a multichannel analyzer package and are becoming much more popular and cheap.These instruments automatically display the type of radiation which is present, making them useful when you don't know which type of radiation is present in the surroundings. , This device, as the name suggests creates an electrical pulse when a neutron interacts with the apparatus.These counters require a large amount of hydrogenous around them to slow the neutrons down as high speed neutrons will just whiz by without interacting at all. , An air filled chamber with electrically conductive walls along with a central anode which works at a relatively low voltage.
When x-rays or gamma rays interact with the air surrounding the anode, electrons are released which are collected by the anode.
The Anode then generates a small current which is measured by the meter and is displayed.The machine gives a reading related to the absorption of radiation by air which needs to be converted to a reading related to absorption by tissue
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Debra Wells
Brings years of experience writing about DIY projects and related subjects.
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