tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20067416.post2508247103378927178..comments2023-12-21T06:35:36.624-05:00Comments on Recursivity: Fun With a Geiger CounterUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20067416.post-41050770908234284662011-07-12T07:40:55.733-04:002011-07-12T07:40:55.733-04:00ChrisVande:
Both my geiger counter and my scintil...ChrisVande:<br /><br />Both my geiger counter and my scintillation counter have no problem detecting radioactivity from my smoke detector. <br /><br />Quoting from Wikipedia: "Americium-241 decays to 237Np emitting alpha particles of 5 different energies, mostly at 5.486 MeV (85.2%) and 5.443 MeV (12.8%). Because many of the resulting states are metastable, they also emit gamma-rays with the discrete energies between 26.3 and 158.5 keV.[89]"Jeffrey Shallithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12763971505497961430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20067416.post-7114501213895749352011-07-12T07:36:23.351-04:002011-07-12T07:36:23.351-04:00I would like to comment on the statement made rega...I would like to comment on the statement made regarding the initial reading of your Geiger counter. None of the background can be related to the radioactive source in the smoke detector. Smoke detectors use Am-241 which decays by alpha emission which can travel a few inches in air if unobstructed. This is a great post. The same effect can be seen with NO SALT salt substitute.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20067416.post-31347388069605040382010-12-23T00:47:17.997-05:002010-12-23T00:47:17.997-05:00Jeffrey, interesting article. I am looking to buy...Jeffrey, interesting article. I am looking to buy a geiger counter just to keep up with radiation in our drinking water. I'd like one that connectes to my PC so I can download data for charting purposes. Do you recommend one that is rugged enough for daily use, and that offers the data collection component?<br /><br />Jerry Davis<br />www.jerrywdavis.comJerry Davishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07525733495135095355noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20067416.post-32111208231986094312009-07-27T20:58:45.838-04:002009-07-27T20:58:45.838-04:00Elijah:
The 8000 figure is for all radionuclides ...Elijah:<br /><br />The 8000 figure is for all radionuclides inside your body.<br /><br />But of course this figure has nothing to do with imaginary characters such as Adam.Jeffrey Shallithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12763971505497961430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20067416.post-19689006633474404062009-07-27T20:50:56.424-04:002009-07-27T20:50:56.424-04:00you say altogether 8000 atoms per second, is this ...you say altogether 8000 atoms per second, is this altogether potassium, or is this altogether potassium and carbon?<br /><br />Dont lose sight of this question just because I go on to say .....<br />I am trying to figure out why Day 7 of Creation is 7000 years (6000 +1000) starting with Adam, but potassium argon is saying the six days of Creation before Adam are each 88 million years. Either day 7 doesnt have to be the same length as these large days of creation preparation, or somehow 100,000 years are coming up as 1.3 billion years.Elijahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15977164879781195618noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20067416.post-76488278530930373432008-01-08T18:51:00.000-05:002008-01-08T18:51:00.000-05:00In some old photographic lenses (1940s to 1960some...In some old photographic lenses (1940s to 1960somethings I believe) Thorium was used in the glass to increase the refractive index and keep dispersion low. This also leads to browning of the lenses after decades of irradiation.<BR/><BR/>Apparantly lenses like these were also used in some rare telescope and microscope eyepieces, where people would hold their eyes close for extendend periods of time.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20067416.post-31040832844607304452008-01-08T18:26:00.000-05:002008-01-08T18:26:00.000-05:00A major source of natural radioactivity often forg...A major source of natural radioactivity often forgotten is radon, a gas that can be found in badly ventilated cellars build on rocks containing elevated amounts of uranium and thorium, of which radon is a decay product. It slowly diffuses from the soil into the atmosphere, cellars and also mines. People with prolongated exposure to radon carry high risks of lung cancer.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20067416.post-3458304545100015882008-01-08T16:54:00.000-05:002008-01-08T16:54:00.000-05:00I have a couple of vacuum tubes from a WWII radar ...I have a couple of vacuum tubes from a WWII radar transmitter. The electrodes are sealed with uranium glass, which is mildly radioactive. I have seen a picture of one of them (type 327) glowing in the dark.Olorinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05240133812210926831noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20067416.post-21175421060646598452008-01-08T13:53:00.000-05:002008-01-08T13:53:00.000-05:00Doh! Roentgen: exposure, not dose. I should ref...Doh! Roentgen: exposure, not dose. I should reflect and/or read more carefully before posting.<BR/><BR/>A quick calculation of the dose rate in bulk KCl suggests it's about 0.5 mrad/hr from beta and 0.15 mrad/hr from gamma. Fairly hefty, if I got the numbers right. Obviously the dose rate in the *water* is vastly less.Mister Trollhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12199391221220679385noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20067416.post-49831713460578204342008-01-08T13:25:00.000-05:002008-01-08T13:25:00.000-05:00Shallow ground water in some areas of Maryland has...Shallow ground water in some areas of Maryland has elevated radioactivity due to the presence of radium. A possible reason for higher concentrations of radium in these places might be disposal of water softening backflush water into the ground via septic-tank systems (the water softeners may have exchanged radium along with calcium etc.).Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07891989201161664914noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20067416.post-86742505832014704762008-01-08T13:01:00.000-05:002008-01-08T13:01:00.000-05:00Since when can you measure dose rates with a Geige...Since when can you measure dose rates with a Geiger counter?<BR/><BR/>I just tried looking that up on the ol' interweb, and apparently you can get calibrated Geiger counters. Never heard of 'em before. I assume they are very inaccurate.Mister Trollhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12199391221220679385noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20067416.post-90136477560120538052008-01-08T10:56:00.000-05:002008-01-08T10:56:00.000-05:00A couple of years ago I worked at the Darlington n...A couple of years ago I worked at the Darlington nuclear generating station here in Ontario. We had to take a two day radiation safety course before we were allowed to work inside the plant. <BR/><BR/>I remember the course instructor brought in a counter and a box of household items; he would take them out and hold the counter next to them, and you could hear the familiar 'clicking' sound as the counter would detect small amounts of radiation. The items consisted of everything from clay pots and coffee cups (thorium?) to old alarm clocks with the glow-in-the-dark numbers on them (radium). It was interesting stuff.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20067416.post-37720384834250763572008-01-06T19:40:00.000-05:002008-01-06T19:40:00.000-05:00Yes, I think it should also count betas. The plas...Yes, I think it should also count betas. The plastic case has some airholes right next to the Geiger-Mueller tube, so the betas should be able to get through there.Jeffrey Shallithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12763971505497961430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20067416.post-26860240257457569412008-01-06T19:21:00.000-05:002008-01-06T19:21:00.000-05:00Does that geiger counter count any beta particles ...Does that geiger counter count any beta particles or just the ones from potassium? I feel the urge of seeing how radioactive my friends are in their carbon decay rates (though technically it should be the same).Anatolyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13326555796603684788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20067416.post-5956524121226944222008-01-06T14:55:00.000-05:002008-01-06T14:55:00.000-05:00A physics professor I know tells of working his wa...A physics professor I know tells of working his way through a large antique store with a Geiger counter, looking for <A HREF="http://www.orau.org/ptp/collection/consumer%20products/vaseline.htm" REL="nofollow">Vaseline glass</A>. A couple dozen other customers got interested and tagged along. "<B>Back off man, I'm a scientist.</B>"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20067416.post-75044248782209791932008-01-06T12:36:00.000-05:002008-01-06T12:36:00.000-05:00Anonymous:According to one of the pages I cited, "...Anonymous:<BR/><BR/>According to one of the pages I cited, "The human body maintains relatively tight homeostatic control over potassium levels. This means that the consumption of foods containing large amounts of potassium will not increase the body’s potassium content. As such, eating foods like bananas does not increase your annual radiation dose. "Jeffrey Shallithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12763971505497961430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20067416.post-77775332183195511502008-01-06T12:24:00.000-05:002008-01-06T12:24:00.000-05:00Try eating a bunch of bananas and then do your rea...Try eating a bunch of bananas and then do your reading ...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com