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How a gm counter detect gamma rays?

Updated: 8/19/2019
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Nitikasharma99

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13y ago

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Some Geiger counters can be used to detect gamma radiation. A better device for detecting gamma raysis a sodium iodide scintillation counter.

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Q: How a gm counter detect gamma rays?
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Related questions

What do GM counters detect?

A Geiger-Müller (GM) counter is used to detect ionizing radiation, specifically from various nuclear decay processes like beta decay, gamma decay, and sometimes alpha decay.


Does it matter if aluminum absorbers are near a Geiger-Muller detector when you have a radioactive source of beta particles?

It does if you want to detect the beta radiation. Beta radiation, beta particles, can be stopped with a sheet of aluminum foil. An aluminum "absorber" would act as a shield to the Geiger-Müller (GM) detector and stop the beta radiation, which is really high energy electrons or possibly positrons. Placing a shield between the source of the beta radiation and the GM detector would block the radiation, thus shielding the detector from it. The detector would be "blind" to the radiation. Note that this would be effective if all you wanted to do was look at gamma rays. The gamma rays and the beta radiation would leave the source and head to the GM detector, the beta particles would be blocked by the aluminum, and only the gamma rays would make it to the GM tube to be counted. Links can be found below.


Can you find an unexploded nuke with a geiger counter?

Not likely. The primary fissile material in the nuke is an alpha emitter, and alpha particles would not penetrate the casing. There are still gamma and neutron emissions, but not enough to reliably detect the nuke with a GM detector unless you were right on top of it.


What is the World of Warcraft GM password?

There is no "GM password" World of Warcraft is not like counter strike where you have a rcon password.


Which type of electron emmission exists in GM Counter?

Secondary emmission


Why gm counter is a counter not a detector?

A GM counter is a counter, and not a detector, because it counts ionizing events, rather than quantifying the amount and energy of those events. It has to do with avalanche mode (GM counter) versus linear or proportional mode (ionization detector). The electric potential (higher than that in an ionization detector) between the anode and cathode of the GM counter is such that any ionizing event causes an avalanche of electrons that are counted as one pulse. Since the avalanche occured, the pulse represents only the event, and not its energy. In a linear or proportional detector (counter), however, avalanche does not occur, so the pulse represents the event, and the pulse's energy is proportional to the energy of the event. In effect, the average current through the ionization detector is proportional to the radiation field strength, in units that are meaningful in terms of dose rate. This makes the ionization detector more useful when measuring the relative radiation field, while the higher gain of the GM counter is more useful when simply detecting the presence of radioactivity. The ionization detector is less sensitive than the GM counter, but it is more qualitative.


What types of radiations are there?

There are only two types of radiation. 1. Electromagnetic Under this we have gamma radiation, X radiation, light and heat 2. Particle radiation Under this we have alpha and beta.


What are the limitation of gm counter?

g m counter is counter not a detectr. So it cannt tells us the types of radiation. G m counter does not measure high energy radiation. It does not count during dead time.


What do you mean by operating voltage of a gm counter?

When you calibrate a GM counter, you run various plots of countrate versus voltage for various energies of isotopes. Since the GM detector runs best in avalanche mode, you pick an operating point in the middle of the avalanche plateau as a compromise for the range of energies you want to be able to detect. That is the operating voltage. Keep in mind that, since you are operating in avalanche mode, you cannot differentiate amongst various energies, i.e. nuclides. If you want to be able to quantify energy, you need to be running in linear mode, and the ion chamber is a better choice. Yes, the GM detector is a form of ion chamber, but it all comes down to sensitivity versus selectivity.


What types of rays are there?

What Types of Radiation Are There?The radiation one typically encounters is one of four types: alpha radiation, beta radiation, gamma radiation, and x radiation. Neutron radiation is also encountered in nuclear power plants and high-altitude flight and emitted from some industrial radioactive sources.Alpha RadiationAlpha radiation is a heavy, very short-range particle and is actually an ejected helium nucleus. Some characteristics of alpha radiation are:Most alpha radiation is not able to penetrate human skin.Alpha-emitting materials can be harmful to humans if the materials are inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through open wounds.A variety of instruments has been designed to measure alpha radiation. Special training in the use of these instruments is essential for making accurate measurements.A thin-window Geiger-Mueller (GM) probe can detect the presence of alpha radiation.Instruments cannot detect alpha radiation through even a thin layer of water, dust, paper, or other material, because alpha radiation is not penetrating.Alpha radiation travels only a short distance (a few inches) in air, but is not an external hazard.Alpha radiation is not able to penetrate clothing.Examples of some alpha emitters: radium, radon, uranium, thorium.Beta RadiationBeta radiation is a light, short-range particle and is actually an ejected electron. Some characteristics of beta radiation are:Beta radiation may travel several feet in air and is moderately penetrating.Beta radiation can penetrate human skin to the "germinal layer," where new skin cells are produced. If high levels of beta-emitting contaminants are allowed to remain on the skin for a prolonged period of time, they may cause skin injury.Beta-emitting contaminants may be harmful if deposited internally.Most beta emitters can be detected with a survey instrument and a thin-window GM probe (e.g., "pancake" type). Some beta emitters, however, produce very low-energy, poorly penetrating radiation that may be difficult or impossible to detect. Examples of these difficult-to-detect beta emitters are hydrogen-3 (tritium), carbon-14, and sulfur-35.Clothing provides some protection against beta radiation.Examples of some pure beta emitters: strontium-90, carbon-14, tritium, and sulfur-35.Gamma and X RadiationGamma radiation and x rays are highly penetrating electromagnetic radiation. Some characteristics of these radiations are:Gamma radiation or x rays are able to travel many feet in air and many inches in human tissue. They readily penetrate most materials and are sometimes called "penetrating" radiation.X rays are like gamma rays. X rays, too, are penetrating radiation. Sealed radioactive sources and machines that emit gamma radiation and x rays respectively constitute mainly an external hazard to humans.Gamma radiation and x rays are electromagnetic radiation like visible light, radiowaves, and ultraviolet light. These electromagnetic radiations differ only in the amount of energy they have. Gamma rays and x rays are the most energetic of these.Dense materials are needed for shielding from gamma radiation. Clothing provides little shielding from penetrating radiation, but will prevent contamination of the skin by gamma-emitting radioactive materials.Gamma radiation is easily detected by survey meters with a sodium iodide detector probe.Gamma radiation and/or characteristic x rays frequently accompany the emission of alpha and beta radiation during radioactive decay.


Why do you get negative pulses in a GM counter?

A GM counter has an anode that is held at a positive high voltage potential. This is so it can attract electrons released by ionization events in the shell. When an event occurs, electrons are transferred to the anode, temporarily reducing its voltage, hence the negative going pulse.


What is resolving time in GM counter?

The resolving time or dead time of a detector is the time it takes for the detector to reset.