@cdlldc111 It depends on the energy of the alpha or beta and there is a question of statistics. Example : If you aim a alpha emitter to a thin gold layer just as Rutherford had done, once in a while a alpha will pass through. The same happens with your skin.
hey will alpha partices go through glass they say they can't go through a sheet of paper. Put that thing in a closed gar and see if your counter still detects it.
There are so many wrong 'facts' stated in the comments as well that I don't know where to start. There is no room here to address them all. It is obvious that your knowledge and that of most people here does not extend beyond what they read on wikipedia.
@Mutrino FYI, you don't know anyone on here or what we do, so who are you to judge what we do and don't know? I would continue the discussion further, but you're obviously a self-centered, self-righteous bigot who can do no wrong in his own eyes, so further discussion with a neanderthal like you would be pointless and a waste of my time.
@cdlldc111: stating that alpha & beta radiation is harmless is a very un-informed and dangerous statement. Weird, Plutonium, which is mainly an alpha emitter , is considered extremely toxic due to its radioactivity. You might want to read up on the subject a bit.
@Mutrino: That statement only brings to mind the old adage 'the pot calling the kettle black'. If you were as well versed on the subject of radiation as you think you are, then you would know that Alpha radiation is only dangerous if inhaled as the radiation cannot penetrate skin. Beta radiation is more harmful, but its effect is limited by the size of the object emitting it and distance from that object. In other words you need to be really close to a large source to be harmed by it.
@Mutrino: (continued) Plutonium is indeed an alpha emitter, but as previously stated, alpha radiation is only harmful if the particles emitting it are inhaled. As for chemical toxicity, Plutonium is no more so than Caffeine. Also, large amounts of Plutonium particles must be inhaled/injested in order to cause radiation poisoning, however, there are no recorded deaths from this. Plutonium has been known to cause lung cancer when inhaled in large amounts however.
You are aware that you weren't actually detecting any betas from your phosphorescent tritium vial right? you were only detecting cosmic ray hits. the H-3 in your vial, as you know, has a max energy of 18 KeV. The stopping distance of an 18 KeV beta is mere MICRONS in plastic, they never even escape the glass ampoule, let alone the plastic container its in. prove it to yourself by averaging the counts over 5 minutes with the tritium source right next to the detector and again when far away.
Sir, I am afraid it is a simply physical impossibility for you to have detected any beta particles at all from that tritium source. you are deceiving yourself. an 18 KeV electron is utterly incapable of traversing such a thick amount of plastic and quantum tunneling effects are virtually nonexistent at few cm distances. google "feather's equation". I work with H-3 daily, trust me, NO electrons at all escape your device.
As beta particles are stopping by the container, X-rays will be generated. This is called Bremsstrahlung radiation, and this is what the Geiger counter detected.
@10mintwo He is not detecting the primary beta emissions of Tritium. He is detecting secondary Bremsstrahlung x-rays created from the energy released by the beta particles as they slow down in the glass. Tritium has a mean beta particle energy of 5.7 keV with a total decay energy 18.6 keV, so it seems plausible that some x-ray photons in the 5 to 18 keV range may be emitted. My Geiger counter is sensitive to 7 keV gamma, so it should be possible to detect this radiation.
@noahspurrier You are correct. It has become clear since I posted the messages you are responding to that this is in fact, possible. I did not think the brem x-rays would be produced in sufficient number or energy in order to be detected by a common geiger counter. But that does indeed appear to be what he is detecting.
are you sure they are alpha particals, i thought tritium has a nucleus of one proton and two neutrons, and alpha radiation consistes of two protons and two neutrons.. so i don't thing tridium should have any alpha emission. Your probably just picking up background radiation.
I have some Thorium ores, i also have a tritium samples in a tube. The only reason why there is less radiation detected is because the cover of the tritium lets only some Beta radiation escapes.
Well, danger just depends on mostly the exposure. Its not how dangerous it is, but its how its handled. Radiation is all around us, so its normally measured in three steps, the amount of radiation, the time of exposure and the distance of exposure.
So does that mean that being in close proximity to tritium makes for negligible health detriments? I'm assuming both materials are relatively safe since you don't seem to be wearing any protection. I'm just curious. Also, what are these two materials most commonly used for if at all?
Thorium is also use as thorium oxide in gas lanterns. The heat makes the oxide emit a bright white light. Thorium oxide is also used to coat the filaments in CRT, since it causes more electrons to be emitted. I believe fluorescent bulbs have the same coating on filaments for the same reason.
I didn't know that the thorium spits out so many particles, being that its halflife is about as long as the age of the universe...
LFTR is the UNLIMITED CLEAN ENERGY solution.
fireofenergy 9 months ago
Is that white salt thorium nitrate? (Th-nitrate tetra- or pentahydrate)?
And does the geiger counter have an alphy ray gate? Or do we hear the beta-pops of the Th-daughter.products only?
Halbwertszeit92 1 year ago
@cdlldc111 It depends on the energy of the alpha or beta and there is a question of statistics. Example : If you aim a alpha emitter to a thin gold layer just as Rutherford had done, once in a while a alpha will pass through. The same happens with your skin.
vmelkon 1 year ago
hey will alpha partices go through glass they say they can't go through a sheet of paper. Put that thing in a closed gar and see if your counter still detects it.
rockpianoguy 1 year ago
There are so many wrong 'facts' stated in the comments as well that I don't know where to start. There is no room here to address them all. It is obvious that your knowledge and that of most people here does not extend beyond what they read on wikipedia.
Mutrino 2 years ago
@Mutrino FYI, you don't know anyone on here or what we do, so who are you to judge what we do and don't know? I would continue the discussion further, but you're obviously a self-centered, self-righteous bigot who can do no wrong in his own eyes, so further discussion with a neanderthal like you would be pointless and a waste of my time.
fatalfury3 2 years ago
@cdlldc111: stating that alpha & beta radiation is harmless is a very un-informed and dangerous statement. Weird, Plutonium, which is mainly an alpha emitter , is considered extremely toxic due to its radioactivity. You might want to read up on the subject a bit.
Mutrino 2 years ago
@Mutrino: That statement only brings to mind the old adage 'the pot calling the kettle black'. If you were as well versed on the subject of radiation as you think you are, then you would know that Alpha radiation is only dangerous if inhaled as the radiation cannot penetrate skin. Beta radiation is more harmful, but its effect is limited by the size of the object emitting it and distance from that object. In other words you need to be really close to a large source to be harmed by it.
fatalfury3 2 years ago
@Mutrino: (continued) Plutonium is indeed an alpha emitter, but as previously stated, alpha radiation is only harmful if the particles emitting it are inhaled. As for chemical toxicity, Plutonium is no more so than Caffeine. Also, large amounts of Plutonium particles must be inhaled/injested in order to cause radiation poisoning, however, there are no recorded deaths from this. Plutonium has been known to cause lung cancer when inhaled in large amounts however.
fatalfury3 2 years ago
oh thx for the information,i should learn more about this,i am really imtrested in this.(but just affraid of the side effect)
rpblcan 2 years ago
isnt that radio active?
rpblcan 2 years ago
will that cause cancer?
rpblcan 2 years ago
You are aware that you weren't actually detecting any betas from your phosphorescent tritium vial right? you were only detecting cosmic ray hits. the H-3 in your vial, as you know, has a max energy of 18 KeV. The stopping distance of an 18 KeV beta is mere MICRONS in plastic, they never even escape the glass ampoule, let alone the plastic container its in. prove it to yourself by averaging the counts over 5 minutes with the tritium source right next to the detector and again when far away.
10mintwo 3 years ago
Some electrons hitting the counter, the backgroung radiation is lower, than near of the tritium light. The difference is very low.
omegalab 3 years ago
Sir, I am afraid it is a simply physical impossibility for you to have detected any beta particles at all from that tritium source. you are deceiving yourself. an 18 KeV electron is utterly incapable of traversing such a thick amount of plastic and quantum tunneling effects are virtually nonexistent at few cm distances. google "feather's equation". I work with H-3 daily, trust me, NO electrons at all escape your device.
10mintwo 3 years ago 3
You are right, I suprised too, when the counter measured higher radiation than background.
Well, there was some little thorium, I think I measured some particles from thorium, instead of tritium electrons, maybe.
omegalab 3 years ago
As beta particles are stopping by the container, X-rays will be generated. This is called Bremsstrahlung radiation, and this is what the Geiger counter detected.
warut822 2 years ago
@10mintwo He is not detecting the primary beta emissions of Tritium. He is detecting secondary Bremsstrahlung x-rays created from the energy released by the beta particles as they slow down in the glass. Tritium has a mean beta particle energy of 5.7 keV with a total decay energy 18.6 keV, so it seems plausible that some x-ray photons in the 5 to 18 keV range may be emitted. My Geiger counter is sensitive to 7 keV gamma, so it should be possible to detect this radiation.
noahspurrier 10 months ago
@noahspurrier You are correct. It has become clear since I posted the messages you are responding to that this is in fact, possible. I did not think the brem x-rays would be produced in sufficient number or energy in order to be detected by a common geiger counter. But that does indeed appear to be what he is detecting.
10mintwo 10 months ago
are you sure they are alpha particals, i thought tritium has a nucleus of one proton and two neutrons, and alpha radiation consistes of two protons and two neutrons.. so i don't thing tridium should have any alpha emission. Your probably just picking up background radiation.
BYMYSYD 3 years ago
Please read the information!!!
"Tritium has beta emission : 18,5 keV"
omegalab 3 years ago
lol right after you change it
BYMYSYD 3 years ago
No, this was the original information.
omegalab 3 years ago
@BYMYSYD Tritium is a beta- emitter (electron + antineutrino) so one of the neutrons becomes a proton. The end result is helium 3.
vmelkon 1 year ago
Also, the beta particles from tritium only have 5.7keV, not 18.6keV. 3/4ths of the energy is taken off with the anti-neutrino.
That is so low that a single piece of paper or a few inches of air will effectively block them.
That makes tritium perfectly safe when enclosed in glass and hard plastic, as in the Glowring.
Yomikemono 3 years ago
I have some Thorium ores, i also have a tritium samples in a tube. The only reason why there is less radiation detected is because the cover of the tritium lets only some Beta radiation escapes.
nitrex 3 years ago
I also have some ThNO3.5H2O. so u say it's not very dangerous?
GingleGangle1 3 years ago
Well, danger just depends on mostly the exposure. Its not how dangerous it is, but its how its handled. Radiation is all around us, so its normally measured in three steps, the amount of radiation, the time of exposure and the distance of exposure.
nitrex 3 years ago
What is the T1/2 of Th?
GingleGangle1 3 years ago
heeeey! where did you get the tritium light?
united nuclear hasnt any more....
sciencoking 3 years ago
Try it on ebay. I buy it from a British webshop. The blue version is very rare.
omegalab 3 years ago
So then tritium is harder to detect or was the variance mostly due to the differences in containers?
Lunartrek 4 years ago
Tritium is one of the weakest beta emitter, so the counter doesn't get crazy nearby.
omegalab 4 years ago
So does that mean that being in close proximity to tritium makes for negligible health detriments? I'm assuming both materials are relatively safe since you don't seem to be wearing any protection. I'm just curious. Also, what are these two materials most commonly used for if at all?
Lunartrek 4 years ago
Tritium used for radioluminescent in watches, or fusion reactor fuel for example, thorium-oxide used as nuclear reactor fuel.
omegalab 4 years ago
Thorium is also use as thorium oxide in gas lanterns. The heat makes the oxide emit a bright white light. Thorium oxide is also used to coat the filaments in CRT, since it causes more electrons to be emitted. I believe fluorescent bulbs have the same coating on filaments for the same reason.
vmelkon 3 years ago