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Re: [Phys-l] radiation

Anthony!

I presume you're at a HS -- this would be an excuse to purchase a large area (pancake) survey meter w/ output to a counter. Once you have it you the may use it for a number of radiation experiments in addition to checking misc. items for contamination. [as described by M. Edmiston] Most survey meters don't have an output, but do have a speaker (current ones piezo instead of electrodynamic), the connections to which one may use for a counter.

This one appears to have a built in counter w/ various counting times, and the detector's D is 1.75".; perfect! And is, if I read correctly, reasonably priced considering its features.

http://www.inspectordigital.com/inspector-digital-p-4.html

The Vernier one is designed to use w/ their interfaces and computer app. analysis. Unfortunately it uses a very small diameter end window G-M tube, but is somewhat less expensive. I've used it to show the Poisson interval distribution, half life of a U daughter (a DIY very inexpensive method**), characterize Alpha, Beta and Gamma absorption, etc. After demoing this for a HS physics class, the teacher bought one (already had many Vernier interfaces) and purchased sources.

OTOH, if there's a nearby college or U take it there. Several times locals asked me to evaluate their U pottery, etc. while at UCSC.

Trivia: One of my student workers brought a jar of Jam purchased from his home town in Poland while on vac. soon after Chernobyl. We used one of our MCA-NaI(Th) spectrographs, Yup we agreed to toss it. Later on during my visit to Sweden my host (An amateur mycologist often consulted for suspected poisoning) helped me collect mushrooms known to concentrate Cs. They also tested + for Cs-137 (very!) when I returned. I later read the Laplanders had to be relocated, as their reindeer were dangerously contaminated from eating lichen, etc. Probably those in Norway and Finland in addition to Sweden.

** from U. Washington. Uses aqueous ketone solvent extraction in a sealed bottle.

bc

On 2012, Feb 02, , at 13:11, Anthony Lapinski wrote:

I was wondering if anyone could help with this:

Our science department got this email from a parent at my school:

My daughter is a middle school student. We are considering buying her a
violin that was made in Japan in 2011, during
the nuclear disaster. For our peace of mind, we would like to have it
tested to ensure that it is not contaminated.

Should the parents worry? Could a Geiger counter detect anything?

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