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Arjani
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Say I were to pick up a big chunk of Americium-241. Could I just hold it in my hand or would it be painful? Not that I'm planning on doing it, just out of curiosity.
There probably would be gamma radiation from the 3% of Am-241 with lower energy alphas, as well as decay products.Arjani said:Nothing more than tingling? So theoretically, you could hold it in your hand and if you just washed your hands thoroughly enough, you'd be none the worse off?
Cobalt60 is 2.4 MeV per decay, so 1 watt of Co60 = 1 Curie of Co60. Absorption coefficient of Co60 gammas in water is about 0.03 cm2 per gram, so about the heating of fingers is about 1/30 of 1 watt, or 30 mW.terryphi said:I used to have a boss that said he could feel high energy gamma emitters in his fingers...not sure if a double blind study has been done on this or not.
Ah. I was about to comment. I would be astonished if one felt anything like tingling. One should just feel warmth. (But that is just an educated expectation.)silverback011 said:I should clarify. I did not feel a 'tingling.' I did feel warmth from the decay or alphas depositing their energy in my skin.
Bob S said:Cobalt60 is 2.4 MeV per decay, so 1 watt of Co60 = 1 Curie of Co60. Absorption coefficient of Co60 gammas in water is about 0.03 cm2 per gram, so about the heating of fingers is about 1/30 of 1 watt, or 30 mW.
My bad. Thanks.daveb said:Um...really? First, the gamma decay energies for cobalt-60 are 1.17 and 1.33, which totals 2.5 MeV per decay (I'll ignore the other braches since they are so rare, as well as the beta energy). Second, 2.5 MeV is about 4 x 10-13 J, and 1 curie is 3.7 x 1010 dps, which makes 1 Curie about 148 milliwatts. It takes about 6.76 curies to produce 1 watt of energy. I have no idea where you came up with 1 watt = 1 curie.
No, you cannot physically feel alpha radiation. Alpha particles are very small and cannot be seen or felt by humans.
Alpha radiation can be detected using specialized equipment such as a Geiger counter or a cloud chamber. These devices can sense the presence of alpha particles and provide a reading of their intensity.
Exposure to alpha radiation can cause damage to living cells and tissues, potentially leading to health issues such as radiation sickness and an increased risk of developing cancer.
Yes, alpha radiation can be harmful to humans if exposure is prolonged or at high levels. However, the level of harm depends on factors such as the duration and intensity of exposure, and the type of material emitting the alpha particles.
To protect oneself from alpha radiation, one can use shielding materials such as paper, clothing, or even a layer of skin. Limiting exposure time and maintaining a safe distance from the source of alpha radiation can also help reduce the risk of harm.