Physics Demo Number: 074

Approximate Run Time: 10 min

Radioactive Bowl and Geiger Counter

Demo Description

One may use a Geiger Counter to measure the radioactivity of a bowl, a plate, and a camping lantern mantle.

 

Scientific Principles

  • Radioactivity

  • Types of radiation

Equipment

  • Fiesta Ware radioactive plate and bowl

  • Coleman lantern mantle

  • Geiger Counter

  • Various sealed weak sources

 

Equipment Location

  • The plate , bowl and Geiger counter live in large Kit (074) on [A-2-1], along with a couple of small internal kits containing the mantle and other accessories and components .

 

Instructions

One may turn the counter on and set the operating voltage of the 'Geiger Tube Detector' at 500 to 700 volts.

Turning the knob to 'Counts times One' and 'Sound on', one then hears a few random room background counts.

Placing the Geiger tube inside the bowl gives a huge counting rate and pegs the meter on the front.

The orange glaze was achieved by using uranium-rich ore in the manufacturing process of the bowl, hence the relatively large rate of counts coming out of the bowl.

The main radioactivity danger lies in the fact that the bowl is for tossed salads.

Vinegar and oil can leach radioactive components out of the surface of the bowl and let them be ingested with your salad.

Some of the ingested components may be bone-marrow seekers and stay with you for a long time.

One needs to come and try out the various sealed sources and shielding materials  in order to come up with appropriate demos and points to make for your particular class in a particular semester.



 
  
Writeup created by David A. Burba
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