Hi, it´s me again, I´m about to buy a Geiger counter (an almost impossible task here), and check the radioactivity of my Geissler tubes, and here is my question, did you check yours? I´m not sure if i would get any reading of it, because it´s radiation it´s supposed to be neglectible, it´s that really right?
If I get a small reading it´s enough for me, the idea is to check if the counter it´s properly working, using the Geissler tubes as a radiation source (not connected)
Your right, the green coloured glass is uranium glass. It's got a tiny bit of uranium oxide in it which colours the glass. It was used extensively for decorative glassware and glows green under UV light. The radioactivity from it is negligible.
In tubes with a lower pressure such as Crookes tubes and X-ray tubes colourless glass will fluoresce green due to X-rays. Something different altogether.
@tesla242 Usually, the uranium used in those tubes would be depleted uranium which is generally non radioactive. You are exposed to more radiation if you go out in the sun than if you look at this tube for the rest of your life. The only hazard with depleted uranium is its toxicity. A tenth of a gram can kill you...
@yellowmetalcyborg I must desagree with you, in the times when this tube where made, natural Uranium was used (containing the 3 common isotopes). On the other hand, "depleted" Uranium, it´s radioactive (indeed it´s one of the common radionuclide you find naturally) , the idea that U238 it´s not radioactive it´s totally false, and was wide spread by the U.S. government to used as a millitary ammunition.
U238 is the most stable U isotope with negligible although existant radioactivity. ~97% of all the U you can find on Earth is U238 and the rest is fissile material. Depleted uranium is used in projectile shells because it's a cheap byproduct that is denser than lead (better for destroying tanks). Radioactivity has nothing to do with its use in projectiles.
Even if you used natural uranium in the glass, its radioactivity would be 100th of the radiation you would be exposed to during a sunny day.
@yellowmetalcyborg there is no such thing a negligible level of radiation today, scientifically speaking there is not such thing as "depleted" Uranium, thats just a bad name used to diminish the scare that cause in people. I know the U238 it´s not used by his radioactivity in ammo, but, it´s indeed radioactive, enough to take seriously into account as a thread, specially when particles are inhaled or swallowed (giving aside of the effects of heavy metal poisoning)
@tesla242 The radiation from a sample of natural U is mostly α, the glass absorbs most of these particles. Natural U also emmits low eV γ rays that are also negligible, this is why; γ rays come down from the ⊙ every day even though most of them are deflected by the Earth's MF, if you go outside on a ⊙y day, you are getting irradiated by more γ rays than that tube could generate during its lifetime. Depleted U is almost same as natural U, both hav 99-99.999% U238.
@yellowmetalcyborg I´m not radiophobic, indeed I work a lot with this kind of stuff. I insist in the effects of Uranium INSIDE the body, on the outside it´s not very dangerous as you keep the the quantities low, keep in mind that beta particles has a very ionizing power too, not as alphas but high. Anyway I see this exchange is not going anywhere since it´s more a matter of "believe", you prefer to believe that "depleted" Uranium it´s harmless, I know it´s not, as any other radioactive material
@tesla242 I'm not saying you have to believe anything, it's just that there are so many people who fear radioisotopes because they "cause cancer" as far as they know, but I think that this whole radioactivity thing is blown way out of proportion. The body can survive after large doses of radiation, there's no reason to blow this thing out of proportion. There are a milion and one ways you can get cancer, radiation is only one of those ways.
@yellowmetalcyborg Yes, there is a lot of misinformation in general society about the radioactive issues, and Yes some parts of the body (not all) may survive large doses of radiation with out immediate effects, but what we are talking about the U exposure it´s to internal (inside body) contamination, these are two separate and different things (again irradiation vs. contamination), and should be treated as separated subject of study, specially when you are talking about cancer risk.
If you are talking about contamination (which is indeed worse than irradiation) it has nothing to do with this uranium glass, because you won't go around eating it : ). Besides, uranium is more dangerous as a heavy metal poison than as a radioisotope (even though it's both). Which brings us to the start of this whole conversation.
@tesla242 Besides, you have 90 micrograms of uranium in your body at this very moment because you eat and drink and uranium accumulates in your body no matter what you do.
This is a beautiful one, and the first I've seen in action. These usually seem to have some sort of unusual motor design, and despite being the most commonly-seen design, this stepped iron ring with two central coils still has a very interesting method of operation.
wow cool. these were probably as exciting to the victorians as video games are to us! I bet they got high on absinthe and laudanum and watched these for hours.
Goddamit... Where's my flux capacitor?
Nanovirus5995 1 year ago
Hi, it´s me again, I´m about to buy a Geiger counter (an almost impossible task here), and check the radioactivity of my Geissler tubes, and here is my question, did you check yours? I´m not sure if i would get any reading of it, because it´s radiation it´s supposed to be neglectible, it´s that really right?
Thanks
tesla242 2 years ago
You'll get a small reading above background from any uranium glass in a Geissler tube, but there's no ionising radiation from the tube in operation.
Crookes tubes can emit X-ray radiation if the vacuum is high enough and this will be shown by green glass fluorescence in the glass.
AlastairWright 2 years ago
Thanks for your quick answer!
If I get a small reading it´s enough for me, the idea is to check if the counter it´s properly working, using the Geissler tubes as a radiation source (not connected)
Thanks again!
tesla242 2 years ago
i thought the green glass was uranium glass...
floydfan21 2 years ago
Your right, the green coloured glass is uranium glass. It's got a tiny bit of uranium oxide in it which colours the glass. It was used extensively for decorative glassware and glows green under UV light. The radioactivity from it is negligible.
In tubes with a lower pressure such as Crookes tubes and X-ray tubes colourless glass will fluoresce green due to X-rays. Something different altogether.
AlastairWright 2 years ago
wow didnt know that about x ra tubes. thats interesting that the clear glass still shows green cuz of the xrays.
floydfan21 2 years ago
@tesla242 Usually, the uranium used in those tubes would be depleted uranium which is generally non radioactive. You are exposed to more radiation if you go out in the sun than if you look at this tube for the rest of your life. The only hazard with depleted uranium is its toxicity. A tenth of a gram can kill you...
yellowmetalcyborg 1 year ago
@yellowmetalcyborg I must desagree with you, in the times when this tube where made, natural Uranium was used (containing the 3 common isotopes). On the other hand, "depleted" Uranium, it´s radioactive (indeed it´s one of the common radionuclide you find naturally) , the idea that U238 it´s not radioactive it´s totally false, and was wide spread by the U.S. government to used as a millitary ammunition.
tesla242 1 year ago
U238 is the most stable U isotope with negligible although existant radioactivity. ~97% of all the U you can find on Earth is U238 and the rest is fissile material. Depleted uranium is used in projectile shells because it's a cheap byproduct that is denser than lead (better for destroying tanks). Radioactivity has nothing to do with its use in projectiles.
Even if you used natural uranium in the glass, its radioactivity would be 100th of the radiation you would be exposed to during a sunny day.
yellowmetalcyborg 1 year ago
@yellowmetalcyborg there is no such thing a negligible level of radiation today, scientifically speaking there is not such thing as "depleted" Uranium, thats just a bad name used to diminish the scare that cause in people. I know the U238 it´s not used by his radioactivity in ammo, but, it´s indeed radioactive, enough to take seriously into account as a thread, specially when particles are inhaled or swallowed (giving aside of the effects of heavy metal poisoning)
tesla242 1 year ago
@tesla242 The radiation from a sample of natural U is mostly α, the glass absorbs most of these particles. Natural U also emmits low eV γ rays that are also negligible, this is why; γ rays come down from the ⊙ every day even though most of them are deflected by the Earth's MF, if you go outside on a ⊙y day, you are getting irradiated by more γ rays than that tube could generate during its lifetime. Depleted U is almost same as natural U, both hav 99-99.999% U238.
Don't be a radiationophobic...
yellowmetalcyborg 1 year ago
@yellowmetalcyborg I´m not radiophobic, indeed I work a lot with this kind of stuff. I insist in the effects of Uranium INSIDE the body, on the outside it´s not very dangerous as you keep the the quantities low, keep in mind that beta particles has a very ionizing power too, not as alphas but high. Anyway I see this exchange is not going anywhere since it´s more a matter of "believe", you prefer to believe that "depleted" Uranium it´s harmless, I know it´s not, as any other radioactive material
tesla242 1 year ago
@tesla242 I'm not saying you have to believe anything, it's just that there are so many people who fear radioisotopes because they "cause cancer" as far as they know, but I think that this whole radioactivity thing is blown way out of proportion. The body can survive after large doses of radiation, there's no reason to blow this thing out of proportion. There are a milion and one ways you can get cancer, radiation is only one of those ways.
Nice talking with you.
yellowmetalcyborg 1 year ago
@yellowmetalcyborg Yes, there is a lot of misinformation in general society about the radioactive issues, and Yes some parts of the body (not all) may survive large doses of radiation with out immediate effects, but what we are talking about the U exposure it´s to internal (inside body) contamination, these are two separate and different things (again irradiation vs. contamination), and should be treated as separated subject of study, specially when you are talking about cancer risk.
tesla242 1 year ago
@tesla242 You're right.
If you are talking about contamination (which is indeed worse than irradiation) it has nothing to do with this uranium glass, because you won't go around eating it : ). Besides, uranium is more dangerous as a heavy metal poison than as a radioisotope (even though it's both). Which brings us to the start of this whole conversation.
yellowmetalcyborg 1 year ago
@tesla242 Besides, you have 90 micrograms of uranium in your body at this very moment because you eat and drink and uranium accumulates in your body no matter what you do.
yellowmetalcyborg 1 year ago
This is a beautiful one, and the first I've seen in action. These usually seem to have some sort of unusual motor design, and despite being the most commonly-seen design, this stepped iron ring with two central coils still has a very interesting method of operation.
JonasClark 3 years ago
most likely
that is very wonderful indeed
minichuaman 3 years ago
Wow.... how did you get one of these?
Vyggy 4 years ago
wow. buzzing. pretty lights. is that hand made?
its an interesting gadget.
CKC90 4 years ago
ooh, pretty colours!!
TargoStudios 4 years ago
you are getting sleepy veeerry slleeeepy
peterm3964 4 years ago 4
What caused it to spin?
xXxmidgexXx 4 years ago
The geissler rotator is a simple electric motor.
AlastairWright 4 years ago
wow cool. these were probably as exciting to the victorians as video games are to us! I bet they got high on absinthe and laudanum and watched these for hours.
veryvexed 5 years ago 5
You have such amazing stuff!
Just for curiosity what makes the tube move? a small motor?
tesla242 5 years ago