You can Investigate the Penetration of a Radiation Flashcards
What can you detect ionising radiation with?
A Geiger-Müller detector
What does a Geiger-Müller detector give?
A count rate - the number of radioactive particles reading it per second
What do you remove the source to do?
Measure the background count over a time period
What do you divide your count by?
The time period to get a background count rate
Do this three times to find the mean
Subtract this from all your results
What do you do the source next?
Replace it and measure the count rate with no material present three times and take a mean
What do you insert different materials between?
The source and detector
What do you record the count rate for?
Each material three times and find the mean
What happens if the count rate remains the same when the material is inserted?
Then the radiation can penetrate the material
What happens if the count rate drops by a large amount when the material is inserted?
Then the radiation is being absorbed and blocked by the material
What happens if the count rate drops to zero after the background count is subtracted?
The background count is subtracted, the radiation is being completely absorbed
Why would you repeat this experiment with different sources?
To investigate the penetrations of different kinds of radiation
What should radioactive sources be kept in when not in use?
A lead-lined box
What should radioactive sources only be picked up using?
Long-handled tongs / forceps
What do you need to take care not to do with radioactive sources?
Don’t point them at anyone
Keep a safe distance from them
