Question

< Chapter 20 practice for Quiz 12 on 23 April Study of Plutonium Levels in a Human Population < 16 of 28 > Review Constants Periodic Table Radiation can be measured according to activity, exposure, or its effect on biological tissue. Units of curies (Ci) and disintegrations per second (dps) measure activity. The rad measures exposure, where rad stands for radiation absorbed dose. The rem measures biological effect, where rem stands for roentgen equivalent man. RBE is a multiplication factor known as relative biological effectiveness and is approximately 1 for beta and gamma radiation and 10 for alpha radiation. Tests on human subjects along the East Coast of the United States in 1965 and 1966, following the era of atomic bomb testing, revealed quantities of about 2.11 pCi of plutonium radioactivity (alpha radiation) in a test subject. Part A The following conversion factors relate these quantities: How many disintegrations per second does this level of activity imply? Express your answer numerically in disintegrations per second. 1 Ci = 1 rad = number of rems = 3.7 x 1010 dps 1x 10-2 J/kg tissue (RBE)(number of rads) View Available Hint(s) IVO ADD O ? Note that the conversion factors between curies and disintegrations per second and between rads and joules per kilogram of tissue are exact (i.e., they contain an infinite number of significant figures). The RBE, however, is approximate and has only one significant figure because it varies with the dose rate, total dose, and type of tissue affected. Submit Part B Complete previous part(s) Part C Complete previous part(s) Provide Feedback Next >

Answer 1

This is a simple question

We just have to convert the units of disintegration from PCi to Bq

Because 1Bq= 1 DPS (disintegration per second)

1 PCi = 0 037 bq

So

2.11pCi = 0 037×2.11

=0.07877 DPS

I hope this helps. If you have any query or want more detailed explanation, feel free to ask in the comments section below.