Detecting Radiation
and Radiation Around
You
What is radiation?
Radiation is the giving off of high
amounts of energy in the form of
particles and/or waves.
The Electroscope
• Electroscope: instrument used for detecting electric charges or
measuring small electric voltages or currents.
• Consists of: glass jar, metal rod that conducts electricity, two
strips of gold leaf plates, metal knob on end of rod outside jar
• How it works: gold leaf plates repel each other or don’t,
depending on charge of rays
• Scientist can measure the voltage of the charge in microvolts
• Used for detecting X rays, cosmic rays, and radiation from
radioactive material.
Disposal of Radioactive Wastes
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Can occur in gas, liquid, or solid form.
Depending on the half-life of the radioactivity, some of it can
last for years or other just for days.
 Ex: Element plutonium-239 has a half-life of 24,000
years and must be kept under watch for thousands of
years.
Some agencies involved in proper disposal are:
 Environmental Protection Agency
 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission
 The Department of Energy
Waste categorized into high level waste, which includes spent
nuclear fuel, and low level waste.
The Geiger Counter
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Function is to detect radioactive emissions, that are most
commonly either beta particles or gamma rays.
Consists of a tube filled with inert gas
Conductive of electricity when impacted by a high-energy
particle
Current created that generates an electrical impulse
registered on the meter.
Radiation in Household Products
Radiation can be in a product for 2 reasons
1. Needed to make the product functional
2. Mixed in naturally with the material needed to make the
product
• Products that heat up or light up usually emit radiation
Ex: Microwaves, cell phones, or smoke detectors
• Not all radiation is bad and some can benefit society
Radiation in Security
• People Screening A.K.A. Cabinet X-RAY, Computerized
tomography, Electron Beam Machine
• Used in airports, prisons, museums
• Advanced imaging technology, full-body security scanners,
people scanners
• Low dose of ionizing radiation-no limit required
• Image created from small amounts of waves
The Electroscope
The Geiger Counter
Radiation in Household Products
Disposal of Radioactive
Wastes
Radiation in Security
The Geiger Counter
The Electroscope
Disposal of
radioactive wastes
Radiation in
household products
The function of the Geiger Counter is to detect
radioactive emissions, that are most commonly
either beta particles or gamma rays. This
machine consists of a tube filled with inert gas.
It becomes a conductor for electricity when it is
impacted by a high-energy particle. When the
Geiger counter is exposed to ionizing radiation,
the particles enter the tube and collide with the
gas, releasing more electrons. The positive ions
exit the tube, and the electrons are attracted to
the high voltage wire. This creates an electric
current that generates an electrical impulse that
is registered on the meter.
Radiation in
security
Radiation can be in some everyday
products for mainly two reasons. It is
needed to make the product functional or
the radiation is mixed in naturally with the
material needed to make the product.
Many ceramics contain radiation from the
glaze used to cover them. Products that
heat up or light up usually emit radiation.
This can include microwaves, cell phones,
smoke detectors, televisions, laptops,
clocks or watches that emit light, and
tanning lights. In large, continuous
quantities radiation can be harmful
towards a person but not all of it is bad
and some of it can greatly benefit society.
Radioactive waste is created from nuclear power
generation, as well as other everyday industries such as
defense and medicine. It is important to dispose of this
waste properly to protect all living things and the
planet’s environment, including the air, soil and
water. Radioactive waste can occur in gas, liquid, or
solid form. Depending on the half-life of the
radioactivity, some of it can last for years or other just
for days. Some of the agencies involved in the proper
disposal of radioactive waste are the Environmental
Protection Agency, the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, the Department of Energy, and the
Department of Transportation. However each state also
has its own specific regulations on how to dispose of
the waste. Radioactive waste is categorized into high
level waste, which includes spent nuclear fuel, and low
level waste. Certain elements such as plutonium-239
have a half-life of 24,000 years. Since it takes so long
to just lose half of its radioactivity, the element must be
kept under watch for thousands of years.
There aren’t many types of security that you
will find radiation in. One very common
source though, would be scanners found at the
airport. Before scanners, airport security used
to use metal detectors to find any stashed
guns, knives or any other stashed equipment.
This radiation is not at all dangerous, in fact a
person receives more radiation in 42 minutes
from natural sources rather than the radiation
from screening. Another type of security is an
electron beam machine used on packages and
mail. It uses high doses of radiation to kill
dangerous biological substances. Whatever is
being examined by this device, does not
become radioactive following examination
An electroscope is an instrument used for detecting electric charges
or measuring small electric voltages or currents. It consists of a glass
jar, metal rod that conducts electricity, two strips of gold leaf plates,
and a metal knob on the end of the rod outside of the jar. It works
when a charge is brought to the metal knob that causes the gold leaf
plates to repel each other. The electroscope is now considered
charged. considered charged.
By using a specially calibrated microscope to observe the movement
of the strips, a scientist can measure the voltage of the charge in
microvolts (millionths of a volt). When the electrical capacities of
both the electroscope and the body producing the charge are known,
electric currents moving through ionized air can be measured. Even
when the capacities are not known, these currents can be detected.
Therefore, the electroscope is used for detecting X rays, cosmic rays,
and radiation from radioactive material. These rays ionize the air and
pass through it as a kind of electric current. The current either
charges or discharges an electroscope.
How our topics are
related to each other
The Geiger counter, radiation in household products, the
electroscope, disposal of radioactive waste, and
radiation in security seem like completely different
topics at first, but they are all related when you look at
the larger picture. Radiation in household products and
security both show ways that radiation can greatly
improve society and how we are reliant on it today.
Disposal of radioactive waste explains how society is
kept safe from dangerous radioactive material created
from the heavy use of radiation in today’s society. All
three of these topics would not be able to be safely
monitored without the use of the Geiger Counter and the
electroscope to determine the amount of radiation and
charge. These five topics relate to radiation by
explaining how it is formed and utilized in things all
around us every day. Also they show how radiation can
be safely detected, monitored, and kept under control.
Detecting Radiation and Radiation around you
Rebecca Novo, Sarah Goldshteyn,
Vahid Drazanin, Shikhar Manchanda,
Yash Mishra