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Alpha particles are Helium nuclei, two protons and two neutrons - mass 4 and charge 2. These particles have very little penetrating capability - they can be stopped with a few inches of air, a sheet of paper, your skin, etc. As a result, alpha particles have no chance of penetrating the metal shell of the Geiger counter and participating in the ionization pulses that it counts.

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Q: Why does Geiger counter not truly measure alpha radiation?
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What instrument is used to detect radioactive matter?

Dosimeters detect and measure the cumulative ionizing radiation they see over time. Geiger counters detect the real-time flux of ionizing radiation at a specific location, and scintillators detect individual, real-time ionizing events and usually are constructed in a way to quantify variations in the ionizing energy. Usually, dosimeters are placed on or near an at-risk individual for a length of time to measure their total exposure, while Geiger counters are used by rad-techs to determine how safe an experiment is or if a dangerous event is occurring. Scintillators are used almost exclusively by experimentalists to collect and sort data at high resolution.


Is alpha radiation a ionization radiation?

Yes, alpha radiation is an ionizing radiation.


What does the term count rate mean when using a geiger counter?

A geiger counter measures ionizing radiation - alpha, beta and gamma (though gamma is indirect). The detector within a geiger counter is a Geiger Muller tube, it is basically a metallic gas-filled chamber with a thin wire anode running axially in the center of the tube and a cathode, the tube wall. The gas is most commonly an inert gas like the noble gases (like argon, neon). The anode is set to a very high charge compared to the tube wall. Also one end of the tube is typically has a thin mica wall or a thin glass wall to allow beta or alpha particles in. Once an alpha or beta particle enters the tube they can collide with the gas atoms forming an electron and postively charge ion. The electron speeds off to the positively charged anode while the ion accelerates to the cathode. Along the way the electron or ion can collide into other gas atoms creating more free electrons and ions and they in turn can knock other gas atoms creating an avalanche effect. The surge of electrons on the anode causes a current pulse that can be measured as a hit by a counter. In the presence of radiation sources the geiger counter's hits per second will increase significantly. As a side note gamma radiation first has to knock an electron from the side wall and it is this electron that causes the cascade.


Alpha is it ionizing?

Yes, alpha radiation is an ionizing radiation.


Is a geiger counter better than a bubble chamber?

Neither is better. They are used for different purposes. Geiger counters detect rates of beta and gamma radiation, emitting clicks as they are detected. Some types can detect alpha particles also. They are used as devices in the field, to determine such things as safety of an object or place. Bubble chambers also detect ionizing radiation, but they do so by recording, rather than rates of emission. They have historically been used for research, though they are used less now than they have been in the past.

Related questions

What geiger counter measure?

A geiger counter measures radioactivity. It detects the emission of nuclear radiation from alpha particles, beta particles, and gamma rays.


A geiger counter measures radiation indirectly by measuring?

Levels of radioactivity are measured by a Geiger counter. Hans Geiger and Walter Muller created a practical radiation counter in 1928.


What does Hans geiger's geiger counter detect?

the geiger counter detects radiation. when a radiation particle (alpha, beta gamma) goes through it clicks. the amount of clicking is how much radiation there is.


What is alpha particle detector and what is the application of bjt in alpha particle detector?

A Geiger counter, also called a Geiger-Müller counter, is a type of particle detector that measures ionizing radiation. They detect the emission of nuclear radiation: alpha particles, beta particles or gamma rays. A Geiger counter detects radiation by ionization produced in a low-pressure gas in a Geiger-Müller tube


What is geiger counter used for?

A Geiger counter, also called a Geigerâ??Müller counter, is used for measuring ionizing radiation. A Geiger counter detects alpha particles, beta particles and gamma rays.


How do you check for harmful radiation levels?

You use a device called a Geiger Counter, which senses alpha and beta particles.


What are the methods of detecting nuclear radiation?

Radiation energetic enough to ionize matter with which it collides is called Ionizing Radiation. The Geiger counter is a radiation detection device that makes use of ionizing radiation in its operation. This device is also used to measure the amount of radiation.


What instrument is used to detect radioactive matter?

Dosimeters detect and measure the cumulative ionizing radiation they see over time. Geiger counters detect the real-time flux of ionizing radiation at a specific location, and scintillators detect individual, real-time ionizing events and usually are constructed in a way to quantify variations in the ionizing energy. Usually, dosimeters are placed on or near an at-risk individual for a length of time to measure their total exposure, while Geiger counters are used by rad-techs to determine how safe an experiment is or if a dangerous event is occurring. Scintillators are used almost exclusively by experimentalists to collect and sort data at high resolution.


Is there anything more reliable than a geiger counter?

There are good alpha and beta scintillation counters but the geiger counter is usually preferred and is highly reliable. It serves as a portable general purpose alpha, beta, and gamma detector.


What is a radioactive device that causes a speaker to click when a charged particle passes through it?

This device is called a Geiger Counter, or sometimes a Geiger-Muller counter, which measures alpha particle concentration. It was developed by Hans Geiger and Walther Muller in the early 1900's.


What instrument is used to detect radiation?

A Geiger counter detects the amount of radioactive decay. For example alpha and beta partials.


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.