and makes an effort to keep away from the region of the Geiger counter. What is your advice to the 2nd friend?
2006-11-20 04:15:39 · 7 answers · asked by wildbutterflychick 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
Tell the second friend to stop being such a fraidy-cat wimpy weenie.
We are surrounded and exposed to radiation every second of every day. Radiation is not the problem, it is the amount of radiation over a specific period of time that causes trouble. Just like with laying out in the sun to get a tan -- if you lay out for 30 minutes per day, you get a nice, even tan. If you lay out for 8 hours on the beach, you get a painful burn.
Same thing for everyday radiation exposures -- the human body can repair a small amount of radiation damage, such as the exposure you get from a dental X-ray or being in a granite building. What the body has trouble with is repairing a large amount of damage done by high-intensity radiation absorbed in a very short period.
2006-11-20 04:40:39 · answer #1 · answered by Dave_Stark 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Learn how to use a Geiger (actually a Geiger-Mueller) counter and understand what the ticking actually means. Normal background radiation, that is, radiation given off by everything on Earth, will cause a Geiger counter to tick between 5-25 or so time a minute; this is natural and not hazardous in anyway (f.e., sunlight is a kind of radiation).
2006-11-20 04:26:11 · answer #2 · answered by psyop6 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Don't worry about the Geiger counter. It's measuring the radiation, not causing it. And, wherever you stand, there's going to be some background radiation.
2006-11-20 06:02:40 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
My kids haven't really gone to any friends homes overnight... Or even during the day just yet. I would probably just see the home and meet the parents of the other child. Then go based upon my instincts. I would however ask about firearms and such.... straight out.
2016-05-21 22:34:26 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
To get real. By definition, the background radiation is uniform in an area, it is not stronger where the measurement is taken, not anymore than getting away from a thermomether will change the temperature.
2006-11-20 04:20:39 · answer #5 · answered by Vincent G 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
all geiger counters will tick , depending on their sensativity settings. as backround and trace radiation is present everywhere, even in sunlight and moonlight, as well as all water , humans, furniture, you name it it's there, unless over 15 rad's don't worry !
2006-11-20 04:25:22 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Remember we receive about 10 roentgens in our entire life from fluorescent things and watches. It's not the roentgens that kill you it is how annd when you induct them. When there is an atomic detonation you receive more than 100 roentgens in a very short period of time. That is what kills you. Many things are radioactive it does not necessarily mean it will kill you .
P.S. : Roentgens are a unit of measurement of radioactivity
2006-11-20 04:41:21 · answer #7 · answered by The Diver 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋