@arclight2011 Thanks! My point is to dispel some of the basic myths. I won't be arguing over the exact fallout from Fukushima, or other things which are being debated... just that a Geiger counter can or can't do some things. Personally, I normally just use my gamma spectrometer anyway lol
I keep seeing people post iodine pill ads... remember folks, iodine pills only save you in a radio-iodine environment. If a truck with radioactive Co60, for example, crashes... the pills won't help.
+antiprotons provided you had a decent geiger counter and a long duration to test a food source...say 2 days of calculated cpm, would their be any ability to see a difference in two food sources from slow decaying isotopes? or is the level of background radiation from other fast decaying stuff just too high to tell?
Chuzzlepuff Puffchuzzle If you had food exposed to a rapidly decaying radio nuclide, like I131, then you could calculate the change in reading vs. days and interpolate that into a graph. From that, you could calculate the decay constant and make a guess at the offending radio nuclide. If memory serves, you could do something like this: Take 2 readings, A,B at times T,Q -1* ln(2) /[ ln(A)-ln(B)/T-Q ] Should kick out the ~halflife. But, this method is MEGA fraught with assumption and lots of possible error. Only works on a simple A to B decay, not more complex A to B to C... to Z stuff. You would solve a more complex bateman for that.
I was like: "Oh cool this guy has a bunch of geiger counters, he has a smooth voice, he's nice! Everything seems so calm!" *holy shit it starts ticking*
Thank you for one of the best demos on YT. There is an awful lot of rubbish online. I did my first radiation training over 50 years ago, and I have 7 geiger counters plus 7 ionisation based devices. I have built several of these and am working on a couple more. Sadly its impossible to get proper sources here in Europe. I have to make do with things like radium dials, americium from smoke detectors and natural ores.
The gloves do little for beta or photon radiation, but they most certainly prevent dust from getting into my hands. This reduces/prevents trans-dermal uptake and makes it easier to clean myself after touching such samples. Internal exposure is the real killer.
What an outstandingly well-informed video regarding nuclear radiation monitoring of the environment, post-Fukushima. I applaud your valuable information for the general public interested in these vital issues. Thank you so much!
No need for gloves with that specific piece of uranium. Note that in other videos I hold much more active pieces and do wear gloves, even though they are still probably not needed. In cases where they really are, I would wear latex, than my thick rubber gloves (long) and tape them... then another latex over top.
When you say, "Mr. Inspector", are you referring to a normal SE International Inspector? Both Inspector models use the exact same probe, the LND Inc. 7317. As for the second part, these samples I am showing in this video are mostly sealed. The disk samples are swipe tested, by me, every few uses, and the uranium sample is about a low as you can get in activity. I wash my hands and clean my equipment too. I test my equipment with an NaI(Tl) 1.5" detector now and then, just to be sure. :)
Very good video. Very informative. I like how you've added the speakers to the old counter too. Subscribed. Oh yes, I have a PDRM-82, and that has a radiation source inside for the self check calibration.
I'm years late to this party, but I had a hearty laugh at the last few frames of the vid. I am a computer scientist myself and I always find myself working in fields that have absolutely nothing to do with computer science proper. Thing about computer science is... it can be applied to nearly anything. Real hearty chuckle ... "another one just like me, well out of his element". Keep on being awesome man. Good attention to detail.
Yes it is! I just started a project where I am cataloging soil radioactivity from around the United States, and I have found that thorium and uranium are present in nearly all samples. Very tiny amounts too. Soil is a tiny bit radioactive, but perfectly safe in most cases.
Both plutonium and uranium, even if chemically purified, with slowly move towards isotopic equilibrium. Both are cluster decay (mostly alpha) with a long chain including potent beta emitters: Pb214 and Bi214 for U238 and Pb211 for U235. The specific activities of Pu239 and U238 are 2.2949985 GBq/g and 12.436289 kBq/g, respectively. I probably should have used a more pure DU sample instead of a natural uranium sample, given the Pb and Bi activities being high.
@iamgoddard Yes, for sure! The ability to determine isotope from a fully known source with a Geiger counter does not exist. When I test a smoke alarm, I already know what I am looking for and the GM just confirms it. From scratch, how could you possibly know? Decay schemes and decay rates are not accurate either since they nest off of each other. You can, for example, confirm a radon washout sample if it decays in a few hours from rain water, but again... you already had an idea.
The dose rate is not enough to cause ARS. At least 0.5 joules per kilogram per second is required to cause ARS. The background dose we normally receive is less than 1/1,000,000 joule per kilogram per second is what we are exposed to.500,000 times less. A sample which is thousands of times background radiation is still mess less than needed. Does that make more sense (the actual numbers?). The photons are numerous, but the dose rate is very low.
Tom...thanks for the quick response...I'll start doing some research, if I end up building one, I'll send you some photos and I'm sure a few questions. Keep posting, your time is appreciated.
The black unit is an SE International Inspector EXP+. GeigerCounters com has them for $750. That's a really nice unit too. The samples come from SpectrumTechniques com They cost about $50 a piece (unless you want them assayed to 95% accuracy, which I do with all of mine, for an additional $100 each).
Hi, and thank you for the very informative comparison video. I have ordered an Air Counter S meter as a starting point, in order to measure γ radiation; I hope it is accurate enough and sensitive enough to use it on "light" applications like detecting Thorium and Lanthanum on camera lenses. I was wondering if the CRM-100 is good enough to trust, compared to the much more sensitive Inspector EXP, by assuming that every measure needs to be increased by 3-10 times to get the real reading?
I have seen these geiger counters that can actually measure the energy and in doing so tell you which isotopes you are dealing with. Any idea how these devices are called and how accurate they are in detecting the right isotope. It seems that it's a pretty stretch for a hand-held device to be so precise, but I am not an expert. So interested in your knowledge on this.
Cont... Now, if you knew that an element emitted an alpha particle which carried 0.1 joules per decay, you could convert them: Sv / second = CPM * 0.1 joules/kg / 60 seconds * 20 But, if a gamma ray carrying 1 joule hit you during this time, it would change the outcome quite a lot! Of course, most beta's and gamma's are in the 1.6 x 10^-22 joules, but who's counting. see what I mean? (for gamma): 1 RAD = 1 REM 1 Sv = 1 Gy 1 CPM = 1/60 CPS Some can be converted :( It's complicated.
The issue I am addressing are statements that Pu *cannot* be detected by Geiger counters. This is false. You're are really answering something more like, "Pu cannot discernibly be detected by a Geiger counter in any likely encounter", to which you would be correct. I am not confusing decay and detection. For equal amounts of purified U238 and Pu239, the Pu239 is both more active and likely more detectable. And yes, I would use an alpha scintillator and my Ludlum 12. Cont...
You would need an energy sensitive unit (gamma spectrometer) to do this. Geiger counters are only good for detecting large scale contamination (e.g. after a nuclear explosion). Polimaster sells a unit for folks: pm1406. The site claims it can detect down to 25 Bq/kg in food. I am not sure if this is true or not. I would (personally) not own a food tester unless I lived in Japan.
I don't really know why or how I got here but I really enjoyed your video. Interesting and you have a cool delivery. I want to buy a Geiger counter now.
Yes. A Geiger counter is an electrical circuit. A current is applied to the tube, but this current cannot flow unless the tube is hit by a radioactive particle. The pulse of power this causes drains the battery a tiny bit and makes the click we hear. More click sounds, more power used.
You can convert these units, sometimes, but not all of them are easily converted. For example, 1 uSv/hr (microseivert) = 0.1 mrem (milirem), but CPM never equals any of these units unless you specify an energy. Here is why: CPM = Number of detection's per 60 seconds, regardless of energy. Seivert = 1 joule / kg * weighting_factor
Yet another question, regarding aging of the units. The CDV units come in pairs sometimes, with an ion chamber unit and a geiger tube unit. Do either of theise sensors deteriorate with age? I know the electronics, especially some of the caps will, but I'm curious about the sensor itself. Thanks!
The CDV700 probe is energy compensated (makes units like mR/hr more accurate for low energy photons). The pancake is not... but the pancake can detect alpha particles, which the CDV700 probe cannot. Also, the pancake is MEGA sensitive. In my lab, my pancake gets 38 CPM vs. my CDV's 15-20 CPM. Also, I wouldn't use energy units, like Roentgens, Seiverts, etc, from a Geiger counter anyway. CPM and C/S are the only valid units.
Ok think I m with you. So what are people detecting ? Maybe radon washout but everywhere? What about detecting Strontium ? What sort of reading might that give?
Cool video antiprotons, im in Australia,im a boilermaker, so I don't know anything about chemistry or phisics,what does this mean,how can u get an accurate measurement if the decay is so low but these low [ejections] are still dangerous.What I mean to say is can I measure if there is dangerous radiation in my environment as an ordinary person by investing in equipment or is this not practical.
Great video, I became interested in this subject after Fukushima. I am a ham radio operator and one of the things I have always tracked is solar activity because of the way it influences radio communications, there are many sources on the internet for keeping tabs on what the sun is up to. Are there sources on the internet for tracking the type radiation your video presented? What is the most common type radiation most of us are apt to come in contact with?
Hey thanks for this helpful video! Might you have any suggestions for testing seaweed with a geiger to see if there is significant manmade isotope contamination? Can you suggest benchmarks for what is to be expected for natural activity v.s. reading showing presence of manmade isotopes? Am using an Inspector Alert.
I'm really not sure how any significant creation of MgCl would occur, even given neutron bombardment (in a core). I've made 26-Mg in my lab before via alpha bombardment, and it's a pain! I cannot imagine that anything more than an trace amount could be created in such a way. Additionally, it would be one of dozens of other such radio-compounds. Where did you read about this?
Thank you for replying, I am sure you are right, I need to read some more on this as it is all above my current knowledge base but you have caught my interest. I felt queasy watching you handle those example tablets. Is Barium a radio active substance? Some say it is some say it isn't.
But... If you get a CDV700, you could buy a 2" pancake tube (same as the inspector) for under $300. have you considered buying a Ludlum model 3 + 44-9 pancake tube? Same basic idea as the CDV700 but with modern parts.
Great video! I’m not sure if this is true or not but I have read something interesting that pertains to your final myth about Geiger counters being radioactive. One problem that they had with the old Geiger counters was the fact that steel that went into making them (other metals as well) contained fission products from atmospheric nuclear testing. Apparently, in order to make Geiger counters that were free of radiation other than background, any steel used had to be scrap from before the Manhattan project 1944. According to this article, one of the biggest and most accessible supplies of pre 1944 steel is from Scapa Flow in Great Britain. The source is the German Imperial High Seas Fleet that was being held as per the armistice agreement at the end of ww 1. The German sailors on board, not wanting the British to take over their ships, scuttled the whole fleet at Scapa Flow. Some were refloated, but many were left on the bottom. Over the years, some of the ships have had steel cut from them and used in the manufacture of Geiger counters since it would not have fission product contamination and thus wouldn’t bias the counter. Here is a interesting article that talks about this and other metals harvested for the same reason. www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2020/12/the-bizarre-market-for-old-battleship-steel/
Cell phone and microwaves (about the same thing) are a totally different form of radiation. Geiger counters, like the inspector, detect "ionizing" radiation. You would need a different meter for that.
so if I understood correctly, units as µSv, Röntgens, rem or rads cannot just be converted? I've read a book (Alert, the story of Chernobyl by Piers Paul Read), claiming that 1 rad of gamma is equal to 1 rem, and a manual of a military counter claimed that the meter could be read as röntgens as well as rads.
Hi, interesting video. I had a question about buying a geiger counter/radiation tester. What would be the cheapest (but still reliable and accurate) tester available? I have an old 50's Radium clock I wanted to test out, as well as some other materials. Thanks!
Cesium 137 is not a fuel, but rather a byproduct. When uranium 235 captures a neutron and breaks apart to produce heat (which powers turbines and generates electricity) those broken fragments become new atoms. Cesium 137 is produced in this way. Cs137 only builds up after the uraium fuel has been run for a while. Lots of other isotopes are made too: Sr90, I131, Cs134, Sr89, etc... Cs137 is legal to own in small sealed sources (per the NRC). I own a tiny legal sample.
I've heard that silver attracts radiation if this is true do you know if any jewelry such as your ring be unsafe to be wearing near a source of radiation?
Did you already do a video on the myths and or theory of radiation half live so one can put in laymen terms what’s dangerous radiation and whats not really radioactive ??
Is it safe to work about 3000 feet away from cold water creek? That creek is known to have radioactive contaminmation. Is it also safe to drive by west lake landfill every day on the way to work? That site has uranium deposits. or are there any forumns or websites you recommend going to that discuss these concerns? I recently found out there is radioactive waste not far where I work and live and I am wondering how much risk is real and how much is just fear mongering.
I have some golf ball size souvenere rocks from the bottom of the Grand Canyon, Do you think there could be any harmful levels of radiation from these rocks?
Yes! Actually, firefighters have an issue to deal with due to smoke detectors. Some detectors use light or laser to detect smoke, but many use Americium 241 (made from decay from plutonium) to detect smoke. Look on the back of a smoke detector and it will tell you it contains this. Each smoke detector has as much radioactive materiel as the nuclear check sources I use in my experiments. When they burn, it burns. Avoid that smoke.
Radiation is sort of light light. A light bulb emits light in all directions. Radioactive objects emit radiation in all directions, and things like silver do not attract them. It is possible to attract some radioactive emissions (beta or alpha) towards a very high power magnet, but they do not make the magnet radioactive. The issue isn't the radiation, but the source of the radiation. The short answer is, no. Wear silver all you like. Silver has no effect on radiation. :)
I once heard the ionization detectors described as, "it ticks, you're dead". lol Of couse that is not true, but the range is given in R/hr (1,000 mR/hr). So, this is useful if you are specifically targeted, but other wise not so much. Of couse, the CDV715 doesn't jam. The old CDV700 could jam or even get tube glow. New detectors have anti-jamming. My inspector EXP+ goes to 300,000 CPM and holds at max scale above that (my Polimaster is 1 μR/h - 1000 R/h) lol
Sadyl, a single cubic meter of soil from Saga City Japan most likely contains much more Cs137 than my samples. If they became unsealed and somehow dispersed, my risk might be similar to someone performing soil-invasive yard work in Saga City. Of course, such a comment requires loads of qualification, but based on reports I have read, this is correct. BTW: That is not to downplay the sample, but to point out how nasty some if Saga's soil is.
What would you say emits more radiation or if any, a cellphone or a router? I have seen people saying that a cellphone actually emits more radiation. but I don't buy... what do you think?
I am from Iran and i can't find such information.please tell us how to convert the units of radiation measurement.for example how to convert Roentgen to Sievert and other units. I wanna thank you and post more videos and info. Thanks a lot
Hi! Great video! In your opinion what would be the best way to get an accurate test of ocean water for radiation/ what would be a good Geiger counter to buy to test ocean water? Thanks!!!
Rafe Schaper Honestly, none of them are good as they can only point to radioactivity being present, but not what causes it. You really need a gamma spectrometer for anything meaningful from ocean water. I am testing some arctic water this weekend and will perform a gamma spectrum of it. I'll post what I find.
Yeah i realized all of your stuff is pretty good graded, name-brand equipment, I was just joking because you can (or at least you could, i don't know anymore) buy stuff like thorium nitrate on Ebay. Oh and great video too, you clarified a bunch things that beginners like myself have trouble figuring out on our own, so thanks.
There is a great lecture on this very subject, with pictures, from Kevin Kamps that was given March 12, 2013 and IS available right now at cinema forum fukushima (put those letters together and it is an org) on the web. I also will be doing a summation of that video within the next month condensing the info into a shorter video, along with others I have done, trying to get all the lectures summarized for quicker viewing & digestion. Can also see my channel. Kevin Kamps is terrific, esp on this
Tom great video!...As you stated (in my words) a element that gives off a high CPM may not be as dangerous as a element that gives off far less CPM's. This is due to the higher CPM element is detected easier by the wand than the lower CPM element. My ? is, would doing a test on a element over a period of time (weeks, mo.) and tracking the range of CPM's (decay) give you a indication as to if it's an alpha beta gamma emitting element? Thanks for your time.
? I didn't give up college. I finished my BS in computer science and I will be returning for to start my MS in physics next year. My current project at work was quite intense, so I have had to wait a little longer.
The ion chamber was made for very high radiation fields in the aftermath of a bomb. Basically, you used the ion chamber to go outside and take general measurements of how bad you were zapped. You would return to your shelter and someone would use the CDV700 to test you with the shield open. For lower levels of radiation (under 50 mR/hr) you were supposed to use the CDV700 with the shield closed.
Do you think the Wifi enabled router would cause cancer in a long term situation, where it is basically 2 feet away from you, or the non ionizing radiation it emits is not strong and damaging enough to our bodies to have any effects.
Thanks antiprotons, best info I have found yet .Want to check the tuna, sardines , I love to eat . Been eating by the ton for the last 5 years. Just became aware of continued situation with Fukishima. Ohhhhh Wish I could monitor food but it is , pretty complex ! Antiprotons what are those badges worn by the people who work around radiation /x- ray techs called ? Thanks again.
The units actually come in triplets: two ion chambers are a geiger counter. You can toss the ion chambers in the trash and keep the GM lol Yes, they (GM's) do age. A tube can only discharge but so many times and the older tubes were worse. My unit is still in good shape after so many years and they can be updated and upgraded. If you are going hard core with a CDV, i'd buy a second tube just as a backup.
If the dust was contaminated, the unit could be too. Clean it carefully and you can decontaminate it. Think of it like a chemical contamination... but with a radioactive chemical.
Why toss the ion chambers? Would they not be better for a high radiation environment where the tubes could become saturated? I mean there must be a reason they made all those units. Although a lot has changed. Modern weapons tend more toward 100kt instead of the multi MT bombs of the past. I assume they are more efficient and thus 'cleaner' as well, so maybe things wouldn't get as dirty. Thanks
Good question. Radiation can cause cancer, but at these low levels (under 37 kBq for most samples), the risk is very little. Consider holding one to be like drinking a beer. A single beer *could* give you liver cancer... but probably not. If it helps, your smoke alarm typically has a 33 kBq Am241 source in it and 1 bag o KCl water softner is equal to perhaps a dozen of these sources :) So... basically, don't sleep with them, eat them, etc.
Wow...$3985 for a Polimaster pm1406..Holy Smokes!. Tom would you recomend another unit that is like 200-300?....yours isn't cheap either...that's a pretty nice 1911 as I'd relate it. Ebay has several...are the majority not worth the money. Hasn't technology brought these devices to a more reasonable price? I know... you should build them and sell them to the common man, just a idea....or teach us all how on DIY geiger that's up to your standards. Thanks
I came across with a weird discovery when playing with my sbt-11A. When i put my hand very close to the mica screen, the measurements went off the charts. Same happened when I put my leatherman multitool and some pliers close to the screen. I also tried same with a roll of electrical tape and nothing happened. When repeating same with uranium glass, everything worked as expected. Any ideas what could cause this? Is there possibly something wrong with my tube? There is no chance that i or my tools could be that radioactive.
Nope. I bought the CDV700 on eBay, but the rest of my equipment comes new from various manufacturers. Polimaster us, GeigerCounters com, SE International, International Medcome, and my gamma spectrometer and isotopes come from SpectrumTechniques com.
Well, a cell phone and a wifi device both emit similar non ionizing radiation. (please note, cell phones and Wifi are not nuclear or ionizing radiation). I'd say the wifi enabled router [in terms of wattage] (I say Wifi enabled because many routers are not wifi).
Hey, I love your vids, but one question would a PRM-8000 be good? Im just looking for a nice good working Geiger counter that can detect the main radiation such as ... Gamma, Xray, Beta, Alpha and that it will also find uranium!
Maybe I can share a different angle with different values: 500 rem exposure will cause acute radiation sickness & kill you within 2 weeks; xray techs wear badges that allow 5 rems per year exposure, which is very high but it's not 500 rems. Background radiation we all get is about 200 millirems or 0.2 rems per year in most places (tho govt trying to say it is higher to accommodate pollutions/exposures from nuclear industry). xrays / gamma rays. No safe dose of radiation exists. Hope this helps.
No worries. Isotope identification and gamma spectroscopy are very expensive hobbies. Geiger counters are far cheaper, but they cannot distinguish between different isotopes. You can make a DIY Geiger counter for under $100, if you have the skill to do so, but it won't tell you if the food is radioactive from natural potassium 40 or nasty Cesium 137 lol The Gamma Spectacular is really nice, but it will set you back about a grand, +/- (most of that is the detector)
Just a question. Is it safe to use these source of radiations without any protection as you are doing in the video? I know that alpha and beta are not that dangerous if not eaten, but gamma?
The samples he uses are not harmful. They are low-emitting samples which are freely available on the internet, legally, and even through Amazon. So no...Jake is wrong. This guy is not crazy. It amazes me how people can, after watching a RUclips video, then ask "Where the heck did you get that stuff?" Anyone who asks this obviously did not do a simple internet search which begs the question from me: If they can't find something that is extremely easy to find with a basic search.....how did they make it to THIS video in the first place? That being said....these samples are only for testing. I would not leave them around your head on a necklace 24/7.
From my understanding of the video this was naturally occurring uranium. Which is not one single uranium isotope, as it has not been refined. The only thing I saw that defined the uranium in this video stated that it was naturally occurring uranium. Which means it has a grand total of less than 1% of the 235 isotope. Perhaps you can share with me the point in the video that defines this as U235? Give me the time stamp. If you can't find it....Then declare a big "OOPS" on your part!
So...you can't back it up with a simple time stamp? You burst into a topic, make a claim, then don't back it up and start calling names. You sound like the child, sir. Perhaps you should take your own advice rather than resort to whining. (When you begin name-calling, you are not simply "agreeing to disagree." You are being a child, yourself.) Back to my above, adult comment: Originally I was intrigued by your comment and thought I missed something. I watched the video again but still didn't see anything to justify your claim. But I still thought I might have missed it and you could still be right so I asked you for the time-stamp. You didn't give it and began childish, playground name-calling. What really happened is you watched it again, realized you were wrong, and were too big a child to admit it....so you called names. How proud your parents must be.....
And again.....you can't back it up. Looks like you are the one who needs to cut the crap. The really interesting point is you are insulting yourself. You made a false claim that you still haven't, and can't, back up. So you result to name-calling (noob) and then deny what is right there in black and white above. Then you call more names and show just how terribly immature you are. All through this you still can't back up your own words.....and you still can't admit it. We know which is the real resident of mommy's basement......the one who can't back up his own words and resorts to whining and name-calling. You are an internet troll. You are the textbook example of someone who has a lot of bluster and acts like they know everything. And when shown they know nothing they just start name-calling. You demonstrate the 21st century method people today use to demonstrate their personal insecurities and just how fragile their ignorance has made them emotionally. People who lie about things to make others think they are smart and then when called on their lie begin ad hominem attacks on the one who is truly knowledgeable demonstrate the exact same emotional instability of rapists and mass killers. Get professional help now. Done with you who lies then calls names. Done with the man-child known as "Jake." Anyone who can't back up what they say is only a poster-child for psychotic behavior later in life. Waste. Of. Time.
I never said you called ME a noob. I only said you used that in name-calling. You have serious reading and comprehension skills. I made no claim as to what uranium was used. You did. I have nothing to back up. I challenged YOU to back up your claim that he was using bomb grade uranium. You still have not done that. And we're all still waiting while you immaturely continue to remain silent on backing up YOUR claim. As for the availability of the radioactive ore the video DID claim he was using? Here's the first result of a single search. hundreds of other sources are out there. We used these freely available, safe samples in high school and college science labs. You are about as ignorant and dumb as a stump. #1 reason why? Because you claimed he was using weapons grade and can't back it up nor do a simple internet search to find the easily available samples that he WAS using. You can't admit you made a claim you can't back up. You either behave like, or are, an ignorant teenager. They are the only people who 1. Think they know everything, 2. Make false claims they are too proud to admit and take back, and 3. Attack others who show their falsehoods and ignorance. Grow up.... www.amazon.com/Images-SI-Uranium-Ore/dp/B000796XXM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479663986&sr=8-1&keywords=uranium
Hummm... your comment didn't show up in my inbox 8-| KeV = kiloelectron voles = 1,000 electron volts. Since Energy = Mass * Speed_of_light^2, we know that we can write mass as energy or energy as mass. Often, scientists express particles as energy rather than mass. An electron has a mass of about 511 keV/C^2 which is the same as 9.109402×10^-31 kilograms When a 100 keV beta particle hits my detector, it has a rest mass of 1.782662×10^-31 kilograms :)
Not a bad price, if they work. Also, I am glad you pointed out that the CDV700 was the real Geiger counter. Too many people get those ion chamber units, like the CDV715, confused for Geiger counter. =) I hope it all works for you!
Doesnt an ion chamber of the 715 measure gamma like a GM? I thought the fundamental difference is the ranges of detection? This is all so esoteric and any assistance is appreciated.
While technically that is true, I feel it is important not to confuse folks. Normally, ionizing radiation occurs at higher energy levels. I am not sure I agree about microwave radiation, which is much lower energy than even visibly light. What most folks think of as energy, is really intensity, when it comes to microwaves. As for gammas, they are indeed EM, but I like to make the x-ray and gamma ray distinction: source.
I have a question mate. What kind of radiation is there at Chernobyl/Pripyat? I mean is it alpha/gamma/beta/ whatever :P I really need this information.
@arclight2011 Thanks! My point is to dispel some of the basic myths. I won't be arguing over the exact fallout from Fukushima, or other things which are being debated... just that a Geiger counter can or can't do some things.
Personally, I normally just use my gamma spectrometer anyway lol
I keep seeing people post iodine pill ads... remember folks, iodine pills only save you in a radio-iodine environment. If a truck with radioactive Co60, for example, crashes... the pills won't help.
+antiprotons where do you get these samples?
+antiprotons provided you had a decent geiger counter and a long duration to test a food source...say 2 days of calculated cpm, would their be any ability to see a difference in two food sources from slow decaying isotopes? or is the level of background radiation from other fast decaying stuff just too high to tell?
Chuzzlepuff Puffchuzzle
If you had food exposed to a rapidly decaying radio nuclide, like I131, then you could calculate the change in reading vs. days and interpolate that into a graph. From that, you could calculate the decay constant and make a guess at the offending radio nuclide.
If memory serves, you could do something like this:
Take 2 readings, A,B at times T,Q
-1* ln(2) /[ ln(A)-ln(B)/T-Q ]
Should kick out the ~halflife.
But, this method is MEGA fraught with assumption and lots of possible error. Only works on a simple A to B decay, not more complex A to B to C... to Z stuff. You would solve a more complex bateman for that.
maybe it would have made any sense if you used that damn board you have behind you and draw some graphs and calculations ...
antiprotons Hey, in layman's terms... If nukes start falling from the sky and I'm in a bunker, should I take iodine tablets?
I was like: "Oh cool this guy has a bunch of geiger counters, he has a smooth voice, he's nice! Everything seems so calm!"
*holy shit it starts ticking*
Thank you for one of the best demos on YT. There is an awful lot of rubbish online. I did my first radiation training over 50 years ago, and I have 7 geiger counters plus 7 ionisation based devices. I have built several of these and am working on a couple more. Sadly its impossible to get proper sources here in Europe. I have to make do with things like radium dials, americium from smoke detectors and natural ores.
Not too different in the states, at least it’s possible to buy depleted uranium, but it’s fairly cost and supply prohibitive
The gloves do little for beta or photon radiation, but they most certainly prevent dust from getting into my hands. This reduces/prevents trans-dermal uptake and makes it easier to clean myself after touching such samples. Internal exposure is the real killer.
What an outstandingly well-informed video regarding nuclear radiation monitoring of the environment, post-Fukushima. I applaud your valuable information for the general public interested in these vital issues. Thank you so much!
No need for gloves with that specific piece of uranium. Note that in other videos I hold much more active pieces and do wear gloves, even though they are still probably not needed.
In cases where they really are, I would wear latex, than my thick rubber gloves (long) and tape them... then another latex over top.
I really enjoyed this video. Your voice is calming and the information is presented in an easy to understand way, thanks for the information!
Thank you so very much for this video. I may not be fully relieved, but I do understand, a lot better than I did before watching it. Bless, Sheila
When you say, "Mr. Inspector", are you referring to a normal SE International Inspector? Both Inspector models use the exact same probe, the LND Inc. 7317.
As for the second part, these samples I am showing in this video are mostly sealed. The disk samples are swipe tested, by me, every few uses, and the uranium sample is about a low as you can get in activity. I wash my hands and clean my equipment too. I test my equipment with an NaI(Tl) 1.5" detector now and then, just to be sure. :)
Very good video. Very informative. I like how you've added the speakers to the old counter too. Subscribed.
Oh yes, I have a PDRM-82, and that has a radiation source inside for the self check calibration.
I'm years late to this party, but I had a hearty laugh at the last few frames of the vid. I am a computer scientist myself and I always find myself working in fields that have absolutely nothing to do with computer science proper. Thing about computer science is... it can be applied to nearly anything. Real hearty chuckle ... "another one just like me, well out of his element". Keep on being awesome man. Good attention to detail.
antiprotons: "what about plutonium" * *extract a plutonium bar from under the table* *
Yes it is! I just started a project where I am cataloging soil radioactivity from around the United States, and I have found that thorium and uranium are present in nearly all samples. Very tiny amounts too. Soil is a tiny bit radioactive, but perfectly safe in most cases.
Both plutonium and uranium, even if chemically purified, with slowly move towards isotopic equilibrium. Both are cluster decay (mostly alpha) with a long chain including potent beta emitters: Pb214 and Bi214 for U238 and Pb211 for U235.
The specific activities of Pu239 and U238 are 2.2949985 GBq/g and 12.436289 kBq/g, respectively.
I probably should have used a more pure DU sample instead of a natural uranium sample, given the Pb and Bi activities being high.
@iamgoddard Yes, for sure! The ability to determine isotope from a fully known source with a Geiger counter does not exist. When I test a smoke alarm, I already know what I am looking for and the GM just confirms it. From scratch, how could you possibly know?
Decay schemes and decay rates are not accurate either since they nest off of each other. You can, for example, confirm a radon washout sample if it decays in a few hours from rain water, but again... you already had an idea.
The dose rate is not enough to cause ARS. At least 0.5 joules per kilogram per second is required to cause ARS. The background dose we normally receive is less than 1/1,000,000 joule per kilogram per second is what we are exposed to.500,000 times less. A sample which is thousands of times background radiation is still mess less than needed.
Does that make more sense (the actual numbers?).
The photons are numerous, but the dose rate is very low.
Tom...thanks for the quick response...I'll start doing some research, if I end up building one, I'll send you some photos and I'm sure a few questions. Keep posting, your time is appreciated.
The black unit is an SE International Inspector EXP+. GeigerCounters com has them for $750. That's a really nice unit too.
The samples come from SpectrumTechniques com They cost about $50 a piece (unless you want them assayed to 95% accuracy, which I do with all of mine, for an additional $100 each).
Hi, and thank you for the very informative comparison video. I have ordered an Air Counter S meter as a starting point, in order to measure γ radiation; I hope it is accurate enough and sensitive enough to use it on "light" applications like detecting Thorium and Lanthanum on camera lenses. I was wondering if the CRM-100 is good enough to trust, compared to the much more sensitive Inspector EXP, by assuming that every measure needs to be increased by 3-10 times to get the real reading?
I have seen these geiger counters that can actually measure the energy and in doing so tell you which isotopes you are dealing with.
Any idea how these devices are called and how accurate they are in detecting the right isotope. It seems that it's a pretty stretch for a hand-held device to be so precise, but I am not an expert. So interested in your knowledge on this.
No, not from a geiger counter; from gamma ray spectroscopy. Rather more expensive.
Cont...
Now, if you knew that an element emitted an alpha particle which carried 0.1 joules per decay, you could convert them:
Sv / second = CPM * 0.1 joules/kg / 60 seconds * 20
But, if a gamma ray carrying 1 joule hit you during this time, it would change the outcome quite a lot!
Of course, most beta's and gamma's are in the 1.6 x 10^-22 joules, but who's counting.
see what I mean?
(for gamma):
1 RAD = 1 REM
1 Sv = 1 Gy
1 CPM = 1/60 CPS
Some can be converted :(
It's complicated.
The issue I am addressing are statements that Pu *cannot* be detected by Geiger counters. This is false. You're are really answering something more like, "Pu cannot discernibly be detected by a Geiger counter in any likely encounter", to which you would be correct.
I am not confusing decay and detection. For equal amounts of purified U238 and Pu239, the Pu239 is both more active and likely more detectable.
And yes, I would use an alpha scintillator and my Ludlum 12.
Cont...
You would need an energy sensitive unit (gamma spectrometer) to do this. Geiger counters are only good for detecting large scale contamination (e.g. after a nuclear explosion).
Polimaster sells a unit for folks: pm1406. The site claims it can detect down to 25 Bq/kg in food. I am not sure if this is true or not. I would (personally) not own a food tester unless I lived in Japan.
I don't really know why or how I got here but I really enjoyed your video. Interesting and you have a cool delivery. I want to buy a Geiger counter now.
Yes.
A Geiger counter is an electrical circuit. A current is applied to the tube, but this current cannot flow unless the tube is hit by a radioactive particle. The pulse of power this causes drains the battery a tiny bit and makes the click we hear. More click sounds, more power used.
i've taken three classes on nuclear engineering and radiation still confuses me lol it's not trivial stuff.
You can convert these units, sometimes, but not all of them are easily converted.
For example, 1 uSv/hr (microseivert) = 0.1 mrem (milirem), but CPM never equals any of these units unless you specify an energy. Here is why:
CPM = Number of detection's per 60 seconds, regardless of energy.
Seivert = 1 joule / kg * weighting_factor
Yet another question, regarding aging of the units. The CDV units come in pairs sometimes, with an ion chamber unit and a geiger tube unit. Do either of theise sensors deteriorate with age? I know the electronics, especially some of the caps will, but I'm curious about the sensor itself.
Thanks!
The CDV700 probe is energy compensated (makes units like mR/hr more accurate for low energy photons). The pancake is not... but the pancake can detect alpha particles, which the CDV700 probe cannot. Also, the pancake is MEGA sensitive. In my lab, my pancake gets 38 CPM vs. my CDV's 15-20 CPM.
Also, I wouldn't use energy units, like Roentgens, Seiverts, etc, from a Geiger counter anyway. CPM and C/S are the only valid units.
I just measured my garden soil, it is 2 times backgroud levels. Is that normal?
Any cheaper but good unit you can recommend that measures all 3 and X-ray? Thanks
The Inspector USB is still my favorite pancake unit. You can go cheaper, but you sacrifice sensitivity, and quickly.
Ok think I m with you. So what are people detecting ?
Maybe radon washout but everywhere?
What about detecting Strontium ? What sort of reading might that give?
Cool video antiprotons, im in Australia,im a boilermaker, so I don't know anything about chemistry or phisics,what does this mean,how can u get an accurate measurement if the decay is so low but these low [ejections] are still dangerous.What I mean to say is can I measure if there is dangerous radiation in my environment as an ordinary person by investing in equipment or is this not practical.
Great video, I became interested in this subject after Fukushima. I am a ham radio operator and one of the things I have always tracked is solar activity because of the way it influences radio communications, there are many sources on the internet for keeping tabs on what the sun is up to. Are there sources on the internet for tracking the type radiation your video presented? What is the most common type radiation most of us are apt to come in contact with?
Hey thanks for this helpful video! Might you have any suggestions for testing seaweed with a geiger to see if there is significant manmade isotope contamination? Can you suggest benchmarks for what is to be expected for natural activity v.s. reading showing presence of manmade isotopes? Am using an Inspector Alert.
Nope. You already are radioactive (avg. human = about 4kBq K40).
I'm really not sure how any significant creation of MgCl would occur, even given neutron bombardment (in a core).
I've made 26-Mg in my lab before via alpha bombardment, and it's a pain! I cannot imagine that anything more than an trace amount could be created in such a way. Additionally, it would be one of dozens of other such radio-compounds.
Where did you read about this?
Thank you for replying, I am sure you are right, I need to read some more on this as it is all above my current knowledge base but you have caught my interest. I felt queasy watching you handle those example tablets.
Is Barium a radio active substance? Some say it is some say it isn't.
NOTE: I can go into any of this in more detail if needed.
Also, rain water is covered at 11:20 :)
i am looking for a chaep geiger counter. can you recommend anything i should/shouldn't look for when it comes to features, etc? THANKS.
But...
If you get a CDV700, you could buy a 2" pancake tube (same as the inspector) for under $300.
have you considered buying a Ludlum model 3 + 44-9 pancake tube? Same basic idea as the CDV700 but with modern parts.
Great video! I’m not sure if this is true or not but I have read something interesting that pertains to your final myth about Geiger counters being radioactive. One problem that they had with the old Geiger counters was the fact that steel that went into making them (other metals as well) contained fission products from atmospheric nuclear testing. Apparently, in order to make Geiger counters that were free of radiation other than background, any steel used had to be scrap from before the Manhattan project 1944. According to this article, one of the biggest and most accessible supplies of pre 1944 steel is from Scapa Flow in Great Britain. The source is the German Imperial High Seas Fleet that was being held as per the armistice agreement at the end of ww 1. The German sailors on board, not wanting the British to take over their ships, scuttled the whole fleet at Scapa Flow. Some were refloated, but many were left on the bottom. Over the years, some of the ships have had steel cut from them and used in the manufacture of Geiger counters since it would not have fission product contamination and thus wouldn’t bias the counter. Here is a interesting article that talks about this and other metals harvested for the same reason. www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2020/12/the-bizarre-market-for-old-battleship-steel/
Cell phone and microwaves (about the same thing) are a totally different form of radiation. Geiger counters, like the inspector, detect "ionizing" radiation.
You would need a different meter for that.
so if I understood correctly, units as µSv, Röntgens, rem or rads cannot just be converted?
I've read a book (Alert, the story of Chernobyl by Piers Paul Read), claiming that 1 rad of gamma is equal to 1 rem, and a manual of a military counter claimed that the meter could be read as röntgens as well as rads.
Hi, interesting video. I had a question about buying a geiger counter/radiation tester. What would be the cheapest (but still reliable and accurate) tester available? I have an old 50's Radium clock I wanted to test out, as well as some other materials.
Thanks!
you're an engaging teacher. keep making videos!
Very informative, concise + to the point. The reading times/delays for the texts screens could be longer.
Thanks for the info.
Dude, you make the coolest videos! I love your channel.
Cesium 137 is not a fuel, but rather a byproduct. When uranium 235 captures a neutron and breaks apart to produce heat (which powers turbines and generates electricity) those broken fragments become new atoms. Cesium 137 is produced in this way. Cs137 only builds up after the uraium fuel has been run for a while. Lots of other isotopes are made too: Sr90, I131, Cs134, Sr89, etc...
Cs137 is legal to own in small sealed sources (per the NRC). I own a tiny legal sample.
I've heard that silver attracts radiation if this is true do you know if any jewelry such as your ring be unsafe to be wearing near a source of radiation?
What would you use to measure radiation levels in food?
Did you already do a video on the myths and or theory of radiation half live so one can put in laymen terms what’s dangerous radiation and whats not really radioactive ??
Is it safe to work about 3000 feet away from cold water creek? That creek is known to have radioactive contaminmation. Is it also safe to drive by west lake landfill every day on the way to work? That site has uranium deposits. or are there any forumns or websites you recommend going to that discuss these concerns? I recently found out there is radioactive waste not far where I work and live and I am wondering how much risk is real and how much is just fear mongering.
I have some golf ball size souvenere rocks from the bottom of the Grand Canyon, Do you think there could be any harmful levels of radiation from these rocks?
Amazing breakdown of radiation detection technology. Thanks for making it clear.
Yes! Actually, firefighters have an issue to deal with due to smoke detectors. Some detectors use light or laser to detect smoke, but many use Americium 241 (made from decay from plutonium) to detect smoke. Look on the back of a smoke detector and it will tell you it contains this. Each smoke detector has as much radioactive materiel as the nuclear check sources I use in my experiments. When they burn, it burns. Avoid that smoke.
Thanks! This vid helped me understand the big picture re Fukusheima so much more.
Radiation is sort of light light. A light bulb emits light in all directions. Radioactive objects emit radiation in all directions, and things like silver do not attract them. It is possible to attract some radioactive emissions (beta or alpha) towards a very high power magnet, but they do not make the magnet radioactive.
The issue isn't the radiation, but the source of the radiation.
The short answer is, no. Wear silver all you like. Silver has no effect on radiation. :)
I once heard the ionization detectors described as, "it ticks, you're dead". lol Of couse that is not true, but the range is given in R/hr (1,000 mR/hr). So, this is useful if you are specifically targeted, but other wise not so much.
Of couse, the CDV715 doesn't jam. The old CDV700 could jam or even get tube glow.
New detectors have anti-jamming. My inspector EXP+ goes to 300,000 CPM and holds at max scale above that (my Polimaster is 1 μR/h - 1000 R/h) lol
So in regards to exposure, you need to know which iso. you are being exposed to, before you can determine the safe dosage in a given time?
Sadyl, a single cubic meter of soil from Saga City Japan most likely contains much more Cs137 than my samples. If they became unsealed and somehow dispersed, my risk might be similar to someone performing soil-invasive yard work in Saga City. Of course, such a comment requires loads of qualification, but based on reports I have read, this is correct.
BTW: That is not to downplay the sample, but to point out how nasty some if Saga's soil is.
What would you say emits more radiation or if any, a cellphone or a router? I have seen people saying that a cellphone actually emits more radiation. but I don't buy... what do you think?
where did you buy your uranium from? Did you buy it from amazon also do you need a license or anything special to buy the uranium you have?
I am from Iran and i can't find such information.please tell us how to convert the units of radiation measurement.for example how to convert Roentgen to Sievert and other units.
I wanna thank you and post more videos and info.
Thanks a lot
ok so what is the best cheapest geiger counter that will do the job should we buy?
Hi! Great video! In your opinion what would be the best way to get an accurate test of ocean water for radiation/ what would be a good Geiger counter to buy to test ocean water? Thanks!!!
Rafe Schaper Honestly, none of them are good as they can only point to radioactivity being present, but not what causes it. You really need a gamma spectrometer for anything meaningful from ocean water.
I am testing some arctic water this weekend and will perform a gamma spectrum of it. I'll post what I find.
Yeah i realized all of your stuff is pretty good graded, name-brand equipment, I was just joking because you can (or at least you could, i don't know anymore) buy stuff like thorium nitrate on Ebay. Oh and great video too, you clarified a bunch things that beginners like myself have trouble figuring out on our own, so thanks.
There is a great lecture on this very subject, with pictures, from Kevin Kamps that was given March 12, 2013 and IS available right now at cinema forum fukushima (put those letters together and it is an org) on the web. I also will be doing a summation of that video within the next month condensing the info into a shorter video, along with others I have done, trying to get all the lectures summarized for quicker viewing & digestion. Can also see my channel. Kevin Kamps is terrific, esp on this
Tom great video!...As you stated (in my words) a element that gives off a high CPM may not be as dangerous as a element that gives off far less CPM's. This is due to the higher CPM element is detected easier by the wand than the lower CPM element. My ? is, would doing a test on a element over a period of time (weeks, mo.) and tracking the range of CPM's (decay) give you a indication as to if it's an alpha beta gamma emitting element? Thanks for your time.
?
I didn't give up college. I finished my BS in computer science and I will be returning for to start my MS in physics next year. My current project at work was quite intense, so I have had to wait a little longer.
The ion chamber was made for very high radiation fields in the aftermath of a bomb.
Basically, you used the ion chamber to go outside and take general measurements of how bad you were zapped. You would return to your shelter and someone would use the CDV700 to test you with the shield open. For lower levels of radiation (under 50 mR/hr) you were supposed to use the CDV700 with the shield closed.
Where did you buy your Geiger counters from? How much were they? I want one too
Do you think the Wifi enabled router would cause cancer in a long term situation, where it is basically 2 feet away from you, or the non ionizing radiation it emits is not strong and damaging enough to our bodies to have any effects.
Thanks antiprotons, best info I have found yet .Want to check the tuna, sardines , I love to eat . Been eating by the ton for the last 5 years. Just became aware of continued situation with Fukishima. Ohhhhh Wish I could monitor food but it is , pretty complex ! Antiprotons what are those badges worn by the people who work around radiation /x- ray techs called ? Thanks again.
The units actually come in triplets: two ion chambers are a geiger counter. You can toss the ion chambers in the trash and keep the GM lol
Yes, they (GM's) do age. A tube can only discharge but so many times and the older tubes were worse. My unit is still in good shape after so many years and they can be updated and upgraded.
If you are going hard core with a CDV, i'd buy a second tube just as a backup.
Mine is in the shop
OMG THANK YOU also do you have a Geiger counter?
With a Geiger counter in my hand.
lolmmm
Who the hell is he? HQ said they were sending one agent, not two.
(Nice Fallout reference)
Shibee94
...gonna buy me a piece of government land...
Is the core of a nuclear reactor radioactive after the fuel rods are removed? Can steel become radioactive?
When I circuit check my meter it goes left instead of all the way right. Any ideas?
If the dust was contaminated, the unit could be too. Clean it carefully and you can decontaminate it.
Think of it like a chemical contamination... but with a radioactive chemical.
Why toss the ion chambers? Would they not be better for a high radiation environment where the tubes could become saturated? I mean there must be a reason they made all those units. Although a lot has changed. Modern weapons tend more toward 100kt instead of the multi MT bombs of the past. I assume they are more efficient and thus 'cleaner' as well, so maybe things wouldn't get as dirty.
Thanks
Good question. Radiation can cause cancer, but at these low levels (under 37 kBq for most samples), the risk is very little. Consider holding one to be like drinking a beer. A single beer *could* give you liver cancer... but probably not.
If it helps, your smoke alarm typically has a 33 kBq Am241 source in it and 1 bag o KCl water softner is equal to perhaps a dozen of these sources :)
So... basically, don't sleep with them, eat them, etc.
Wow...$3985 for a Polimaster pm1406..Holy Smokes!. Tom would you recomend another unit that is like 200-300?....yours isn't cheap either...that's a pretty nice 1911 as I'd relate it. Ebay has several...are the majority not worth the money. Hasn't technology brought these devices to a more reasonable price? I know... you should build them and sell them to the common man, just a idea....or teach us all how on DIY geiger that's up to your standards. Thanks
Thanks!
Great video learned a lot!
Do you have a cat?
Lol...the scratches
I came across with a weird discovery when playing with my sbt-11A. When i put my hand very close to the mica screen, the measurements went off the charts. Same happened when I put my leatherman multitool and some pliers close to the screen. I also tried same with a roll of electrical tape and nothing happened. When repeating same with uranium glass, everything worked as expected. Any ideas what could cause this? Is there possibly something wrong with my tube? There is no chance that i or my tools could be that radioactive.
Nope. I bought the CDV700 on eBay, but the rest of my equipment comes new from various manufacturers. Polimaster us, GeigerCounters com, SE International, International Medcome, and my gamma spectrometer and isotopes come from SpectrumTechniques com.
I bought the 715 any advice on maintenance or use
Could geigercounter be activated for testing, using just laser? It is also source of radiation, but visible spectrum.
Well, a cell phone and a wifi device both emit similar non ionizing radiation. (please note, cell phones and Wifi are not nuclear or ionizing radiation).
I'd say the wifi enabled router [in terms of wattage] (I say Wifi enabled because many routers are not wifi).
Is the Terra-P Geiger counter a good radiation detector?
Hey, I love your vids, but one question would a PRM-8000 be good? Im just looking for a nice good working Geiger counter that can detect the main radiation such as ... Gamma, Xray, Beta, Alpha and that it will also find uranium!
The 8000 is fine, but the 9000 is many times more sensitive. If you buy the 9000, you would really find it more useful.
Maybe I can share a different angle with different values: 500 rem exposure will cause acute radiation sickness & kill you within 2 weeks; xray techs wear badges that allow 5 rems per year exposure, which is very high but it's not 500 rems. Background radiation we all get is about 200 millirems or 0.2 rems per year in most places (tho govt trying to say it is higher to accommodate pollutions/exposures from nuclear industry). xrays / gamma rays. No safe dose of radiation exists. Hope this helps.
No worries. Isotope identification and gamma spectroscopy are very expensive hobbies. Geiger counters are far cheaper, but they cannot distinguish between different isotopes. You can make a DIY Geiger counter for under $100, if you have the skill to do so, but it won't tell you if the food is radioactive from natural potassium 40 or nasty Cesium 137 lol
The Gamma Spectacular is really nice, but it will set you back about a grand, +/- (most of that is the detector)
Just a question. Is it safe to use these source of radiations without any protection as you are doing in the video? I know that alpha and beta are not that dangerous if not eaten, but gamma?
The samples he uses are not harmful. They are low-emitting samples which are freely available on the internet, legally, and even through Amazon. So no...Jake is wrong. This guy is not crazy.
It amazes me how people can, after watching a RUclips video, then ask "Where the heck did you get that stuff?"
Anyone who asks this obviously did not do a simple internet search which begs the question from me: If they can't find something that is extremely easy to find with a basic search.....how did they make it to THIS video in the first place?
That being said....these samples are only for testing. I would not leave them around your head on a necklace 24/7.
From my understanding of the video this was naturally occurring uranium. Which is not one single uranium isotope, as it has not been refined.
The only thing I saw that defined the uranium in this video stated that it was naturally occurring uranium. Which means it has a grand total of less than 1% of the 235 isotope.
Perhaps you can share with me the point in the video that defines this as U235? Give me the time stamp.
If you can't find it....Then declare a big "OOPS" on your part!
So...you can't back it up with a simple time stamp? You burst into a topic, make a claim, then don't back it up and start calling names.
You sound like the child, sir. Perhaps you should take your own advice rather than resort to whining.
(When you begin name-calling, you are not simply "agreeing to disagree." You are being a child, yourself.)
Back to my above, adult comment: Originally I was intrigued by your comment and thought I missed something. I watched the video again but still didn't see anything to justify your claim. But I still thought I might have missed it and you could still be right so I asked you for the time-stamp.
You didn't give it and began childish, playground name-calling.
What really happened is you watched it again, realized you were wrong, and were too big a child to admit it....so you called names.
How proud your parents must be.....
And again.....you can't back it up. Looks like you are the one who needs to cut the crap.
The really interesting point is you are insulting yourself. You made a false claim that you still haven't, and can't, back up.
So you result to name-calling (noob) and then deny what is right there in black and white above.
Then you call more names and show just how terribly immature you are.
All through this you still can't back up your own words.....and you still can't admit it.
We know which is the real resident of mommy's basement......the one who can't back up his own words and resorts to whining and name-calling.
You are an internet troll. You are the textbook example of someone who has a lot of bluster and acts like they know everything. And when shown they know nothing they just start name-calling.
You demonstrate the 21st century method people today use to demonstrate their personal insecurities and just how fragile their ignorance has made them emotionally.
People who lie about things to make others think they are smart and then when called on their lie begin ad hominem attacks on the one who is truly knowledgeable demonstrate the exact same emotional instability of rapists and mass killers.
Get professional help now. Done with you who lies then calls names. Done with the man-child known as "Jake." Anyone who can't back up what they say is only a poster-child for psychotic behavior later in life. Waste. Of. Time.
I never said you called ME a noob. I only said you used that in name-calling. You have serious reading and comprehension skills.
I made no claim as to what uranium was used. You did. I have nothing to back up. I challenged YOU to back up your claim that he was using bomb grade uranium. You still have not done that. And we're all still waiting while you immaturely continue to remain silent on backing up YOUR claim.
As for the availability of the radioactive ore the video DID claim he was using? Here's the first result of a single search. hundreds of other sources are out there. We used these freely available, safe samples in high school and college science labs. You are about as ignorant and dumb as a stump. #1 reason why? Because you claimed he was using weapons grade and can't back it up nor do a simple internet search to find the easily available samples that he WAS using. You can't admit you made a claim you can't back up. You either behave like, or are, an ignorant teenager. They are the only people who 1. Think they know everything, 2. Make false claims they are too proud to admit and take back, and 3. Attack others who show their falsehoods and ignorance.
Grow up....
www.amazon.com/Images-SI-Uranium-Ore/dp/B000796XXM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479663986&sr=8-1&keywords=uranium
Hummm... your comment didn't show up in my inbox 8-|
KeV = kiloelectron voles = 1,000 electron volts. Since Energy = Mass * Speed_of_light^2, we know that we can write mass as energy or energy as mass. Often, scientists express particles as energy rather than mass. An electron has a mass of about 511 keV/C^2 which is the same as 9.109402×10^-31 kilograms
When a 100 keV beta particle hits my detector, it has a rest mass of 1.782662×10^-31 kilograms :)
How do you know which day of the week your uranium piece is radioactive?
Not a bad price, if they work.
Also, I am glad you pointed out that the CDV700 was the real Geiger counter. Too many people get those ion chamber units, like the CDV715, confused for Geiger counter. =)
I hope it all works for you!
Doesnt an ion chamber of the 715 measure gamma like a GM? I thought the fundamental difference is the ranges of detection? This is all so esoteric and any assistance is appreciated.
While technically that is true, I feel it is important not to confuse folks. Normally, ionizing radiation occurs at higher energy levels. I am not sure I agree about microwave radiation, which is much lower energy than even visibly light. What most folks think of as energy, is really intensity, when it comes to microwaves.
As for gammas, they are indeed EM, but I like to make the x-ray and gamma ray distinction: source.
Thanks! You are the second person to think my voice is pleasant. I find it annoying in person, but that's me lol
If I become radioactivated, will I develop superpowers and be obligated to don spandex and fight evil where ever I find it?
I have a question mate. What kind of radiation is there at Chernobyl/Pripyat? I mean is it alpha/gamma/beta/ whatever :P I really need this information.