Uranium-238 vs. Uraninite (and Natural Background) Radioactivity

Here is a slightly blurry but HOT video in which I compare the radioactivity of the natural background (cosmic rays and other unavoidable environmental sources) to pure uranium-238 to that of a crystal of the mineral uraninite (uranium oxide). The result is counterintuitive, but can be explained by the fact the uraninite is immensely old, and contains the decay products of uranium, including a tiny bit of radium and other short-lived, continually-replenished radioactive daughter products. And radium is far more radioactive than uranium-238. (Oops, I gave away the surprise!) In addition, I give an indication as to why I can (sanely) have this stuff in my dwelling. Take a look...you'll see! (But never store radioactive sources near sleeping or eating quarters, and always thoroughly wash your hands after handling them!)

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• demonstration
• experiment
• physics
• uranium-238
• depleted
• natural
• background
• cosmic
• ray
• unavoidable
• nuclear
• atomic
• radiation
• radioactive
• radioactivity
• uranium
• radium
• uraninite
• alpha
• beta
• particle
• particles
• gamma
• rays
• decay
• fun
• danger
• common
• sense
• geiger
• counter
• tube
• dosimeter
• u-238
• daughter
• product
• products

[TheCaptainLulz]

Ive got 11 pieces that size or bigger in one container. Better split em up I guess. Mine also have a high thorium content and Ive got 5 uranothorites, bet those would bury the needle.

[carllexicon]

@TheCaptainLulz I'd say so! You REALLY do need a dosimeter. Did you know uraninite crystals are supposedly rarer than diamonds?

[darkdjo]

Very surprising !

[carllexicon]

Good!

[PageRob]

Cool! Neat comparison.

[carllexicon]

Thanks...I hope it was surprising.

[kjah11]

lol sounds like a gameboy xD



[riotpoliec]

Its like playing tetris.....

[TheCaptainLulz]

If youre ever in bancroft ontario give me a shout and Ill show you where I dig em out.

[TheCaptainLulz]

@carllexicon I didn't know that, wow. theres one tiny hole at a road cut where I get them at where theyre absolutely beautiful, some have a few facets on them even. Not a tiny bit of metamict around them at all. Theyre in a pretty salmon coloured calcite, but because of this I can dissolve the urananites (which dont react with HCl) right out without damaging them. I think they stay so good there because theres more than a bit of thorium in them too.