Becquerel
Becquerel (Bq), equivalent to s-1, is the SI derived unit of radioactivity (A). 1 Bq is defined as the number of times a nucleus decays every second.
Formula
[math]\displaystyle{ A = \frac{-dN}{dt}=\lambda N }[/math]
where [math]\displaystyle{ N }[/math] is the number of radioactive atoms in a radioactive sample, which has no unit, and [math]\displaystyle{ \lambda }[/math] is the decay constant measuring how fast radioactive decay occurs over time, which depends on the nature of the radioactive sample, particularly the constituent isotopes.[1]
Half-life
The half-life is the time required for half of the radioactive atoms of a sample to decay. It can be found by the simple formula
[math]\displaystyle{ t = \frac{0.693}{\lambda} }[/math].[1]
Petabecquerel
A petabecquerel corresponds to 1015 times a Bq. The unit is named in honor of French physicists Henri Becquerel.
Becquerel Media
Graphic showing relationships between radioactivity and detected ionizing radiation
Related pages
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Decay constant | Definition, Formula, & Facts". Britannica. Retrieved December 1, 2024.