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Example Problems
- The half-life of Po-210 is 138.4 days. An anti-static plate is obtained with an activity of 300 ĩCi. What
is the activity 3 years later?
3 yr = 3(365) = 1095 days
At = A0e-2t = A0e
|
0.693
τ1
2
|
|
|
At = (300)e |
-0.693•1095
138.4
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= (300)e-5.48 |
= (300)(0.00416) = 1.25µCi
An alternative method of calculating the answer is to calculate the
number of half lives that have passed and used An = A0 (1/2)n.
|
n =
|
1095days
138.4 days/ half - life
|
= 791 half lives |
An = 300(1/2)7.91 = 300 (0.00416) = 1.25
µCi
- A source has an intensity of 500 mr/hr at 6 feet. What is the intensity at 50 feet?
I1
I2
|
= |
[ |
d1
d2 |
] |
2 |
I1 = 500 d1 =
6 d2 = 50 |
|
|
I2
|
= |
|
I1
d2
d1
|
|
= |
500
(50/6)2
|
= |
500
(833)2 |
= |
500
69.4 |
= |
7.2 mR/hr |
| [ |
]2 |
-
The half-value layer for a shielding material is 5 mm. If the
intensity of the radiation beam striking the shield is 100 R/hr and the shield is 2 inches
thick, what is the intensity is mR/hr on the other side of the shield?
| I |
= |
I0e |
-0.693•x
HVL
|
= |
(100)e |
-0.693(2")(25.4 mm/inch)
5mm
|
= (100)e -7.04 = 100 (0.000876) = 0.088
R/hr
= 88 mR/hr
- Calculate the absorbed dose rate produced in bone (f = 0.922) by 1 MeV gamma radiation which produced an exposure rate
of 0.5 mR/hr.
D = 0.869 ƒ X (R) rads
=(0.869)(0.922)(0.5 x 10-3 R/hr)
= 0.4 x 10-3 rads/hr
= 0.4 m rad/hr
- Calculate the absorbed dose rate in soft tissue (f = 0.965) for the condition in problem 4.
D = (0.869)(0.965)(0.5 X 10-3 R/hr)
= 0.419 m rad/hr
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