Detection of Radioactivity
Physics: Cambridge International GCSE Supplement, topic 5.2.3
Detecting Radioactivity
Geiger counter (Geiger-Muller tube)
- Ionising radiation enters a tube full of low pressure gases.
- It ionises the atoms in the gas, knocking electrons out of the atoms.
- The gas can now conduct electricity and completes an electric circuit. Current flows between electrodes.
- The current produces a clicking noise.
- The count-rate is the number of decays recorded each second or each minute.
Test yourself on Detection of Radioactivity
Geiger Counter
What is the count rate you get from a Geiger counter?