Re: [Phys-l] Geiger counter

[brian whatcott <betwys1@sbcglobal.net>]

Hmmmm...I quote counts of discrete events in a well defined time 
interval, and dividing one into the other I quote a rate.

This is an observation plus or minus ZERO.

If one wants to use these observations as an estimate of some underlying
effect, that's just fine by me - but the model is all yours, and the 
facts are all mine.

:-)

Brian W

On 3/30/2011 6:37 PM, Bernard Cleyet wrote:
> On 2011, Mar 30, , at 15:14, brian whatcott wrote:
>
> >   A five minute exposure of the dusty filter disk
> > to the open aperture of the GM tube on the survey meter gave  a count of
> > 157 in 5 minutes - a rate of 31.4 cpm
> >
> > Brian W
> >
> > Brian W
> > ________________
>
> 31.4 +/- 2.5
>
> vs.
>
> A quicky preliminary check for background gave 14 cpm for 1 minute for a
> unused filter disk.
>
> 14 +/- 3.7
>
> I'm convinced.
>
> bc  remembers his as being very much greater, but was a few square feet of filter material folded and compressed to approximately the area of end window.