Figure 10 shows a Geiger-Müller (GM) tube used for measuring radioactivity - Edexcel - GCSE Physics Combined Science - Question 6 - 2018 - Paper 1
Question 6
Figure 10 shows a Geiger-Müller (GM) tube used for measuring radioactivity.
(a) Describe how a teacher should use a Geiger-Müller (GM) tube to compare the count-rat... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Figure 10 shows a Geiger-Müller (GM) tube used for measuring radioactivity - Edexcel - GCSE Physics Combined Science - Question 6 - 2018 - Paper 1
Step 1
Put rock(s) in front of tube
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Answer
The teacher should place one of the radioactive rocks in front of the Geiger-Müller tube to ensure that it is positioned correctly to detect radiation.
Step 2
Measure count rate separately for the two different rocks
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Answer
The teacher should measure the count rate coming from the first rock and record this value before moving on to the next rock.
Step 3
Measure each count for the same time period
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Answer
To ensure consistency, the teacher must measure the count for both rocks over the same time period, allowing for a fair comparison.
Step 4
Keep source-detector distance the same for both rocks
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It is crucial that the distance between the Geiger-Müller tube and the radioactive rocks is kept constant during both measurements.
Step 5
Take into account/measured background count
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The teacher should measure the background radiation count before starting the experiment to subtract it from the readings taken from the rocks.
Step 6
Repeat readings and take average(s)
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Answer
To ensure accuracy, the teacher should repeat the count measurements multiple times for each rock and then calculate the average count rates.
