The Geiger counter has been very popular due to its robust sensing element and relatively low cost to determine if an object is radioactive and emits radiation. It may also be able to detect the amount of particles emitted by radioactive material.
The Geiger counter has been very popular due to its robust sensing element and relatively low cost to determine if an object is radioactive and emits radiation. It may also be able to detect the amount of particles emitted by radioactive material.
It consists of a Geiger-Miller tube filled with an inert gas such as low pressure helium, neon or argon. A high voltage is applied at one end and the other end is grounded. However, in different models, virtual grounding can be achieved by connecting the other end to the other end of the power supply. The gas itself does not conduct electricity until ionizing radiation "charges" the gas atoms. When the radiation strikes the gas atoms, ions (or charged particles) are produced, which then send an electric current through the tube. The resulting electrical pulse is used to measure the amount of radioactivity in the object.
Many places are infected with radionuclides due to human intervention. You may be underestimating the extent of the contamination, but ionizing radiation is commonly found in house paint, granite floors, rock collections, and even household items such as spoons and dinner plates!
The reason for this is that uranium is often used to paint dinner plates. Although most governments have banned the use of uranium oxide to glaze plates, the market is flooded with countless plates with measurable traces of radioactivity. There are many different devices that can be used to measure radiation and ensure that the radiation levels are indeed safe. However, the best known is the Geiger counter.
Geiger counters are simple, reliable, and powerful dose and contamination rate measurement tools that help users characterize X-ray, alpha, beta, and gamma radiation. It's no wonder that handheld civil defense equipment variants are widely used by fire departments, homeland security personnel, emergency response teams, and agencies engaged in decommissioning and decontamination programs. Today, these devices are also used by the pharmaceutical industry and hospital staff.
Before you can start using civil defense equipment like a pro, it's important that you understand how these devices are manufactured. This will help you identify and properly use all aspects of the equipment later in the field.
Geiger counters consist of a metal cylinder filled with a low-pressure gas. This gas is sealed by means of a ceramic or plastic window at one end. A thin metal wire made of tungsten is passed through the center of the tub. The wire remains connected to the positive high pressure. As a result, a strong electric field exists between the wire and the external tube.
Once radiant energy enters the tube, it causes ionization. The gas molecules split into electrons and ions. The negatively charged electrons are immediately attracted to the high voltage positive wire inside the tube.
As they travel through the tube, they collide with other gas molecules and cause more ionization. As a result of this process, a large number of electrons suddenly reach the wire, producing an electrical pulse that can be measured on a meter. If the counter is connected to a speaker or amplifier, you will hear a clicking sound.
The electrons and ions are rapidly absorbed by the billions of gas molecules in the tube. They effectively reset the counter itself in less than a second and are ready to detect further radiation. This helps the Geiger counter detect alpha, beta, and gamma radiation.