becquerels
Nuclear activity measurements
Becquerels are units measuring radioactive decay, specifically the number of atomic nuclei that disintegrate per second in a radioactive sample.
One becquerel equals one decay event per second, making it a very small unit—environmental radiation is typically measured in thousands or millions of becquerels.
Named after French physicist Henri Becquerel, who discovered radioactivity, the unit replaced the older curie in the International System of Units.
The soil sample showed 500 becquerels per kilogram of cesium-137.
Energy propagation through space
- activityEngagement in doing
- disintegrationsBreakings into smaller parts
- secondsTime units, or extras
- unitsStandard measures of quantity
counts · decay · isotopes · radioactivity · curie · gray · half-life · emissions
Scientist of matter and energy
- discoveryAct of finding something
- uraniumElement ninety-two
- Nobel PrizeHighest academic honor
- phosphorescenceHeatless delayed light emission
Marie Curie · Pierre Curie · 1896 · French · SI units · nuclear physics · atomic · research
Introduction of impurities
- limitsImposed maximum points
- food safetyIllness prevention through handling
- FukushimaJapanese nuclear accident site
- ChernobylSoviet nuclear disaster site
monitoring · regulations · drinking water · soil · thresholds · permissible · standards · screening
Medicinal radioactive substances
- nuclear medicineHealthcare using radioactive materials
- tracersPath-revealing projectiles
- imagingProducing visual representations
- diagnosticsMethods identifying problems
PET scans · technetium · therapeutic · oncology · thyroid · injection · dosage · uptake
radiation
Energy propagation through space
- activityEngagement in doing
- disintegrationsBreakings into smaller parts
- secondsTime units, or extras
units · counts · decay · isotopes · radioactivity · curie · gray · half-life · emissions · nuclear
physicist
Scientist of matter and energy
- discoveryAct of finding something
- uraniumElement ninety-two
- Nobel PrizeHighest academic honor
Marie Curie · Pierre Curie · phosphorescence · 1896 · French · SI units · nuclear physics · atomic · research · laboratory
contamination
Introduction of impurities
- limitsImposed maximum points
- food safetyIllness prevention through handling
- FukushimaJapanese nuclear accident site
Chernobyl · monitoring · regulations · drinking water · soil · thresholds · permissible · standards · screening · environmental
radiopharmaceuticals
Medicinal radioactive substances
- nuclear medicineHealthcare using radioactive materials
- tracersPath-revealing projectiles
- imagingProducing visual representations
diagnostics · PET scans · technetium · therapeutic · oncology · thyroid · injection · dosage · uptake · biodistribution