Radioactivity Converter

13 units

Convert between different units of radioactivity including curies, becquerels, and decay rate measurements with precision.

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123
Example

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Most everyday conversions

123.46
Example

Precise

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Four decimal places

Scientific and engineering work

123.4568
Example

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Popular Radioactivity Unit Conversions

Common radioactivity unit conversions used in nuclear medicine, research, and industry applications.

Curie ↔ Becquerel
1 Ci3.7 × 10¹⁰ Bq
1 Bq2.7 × 10⁻¹¹ Ci
Microcurie ↔ Becquerel
1 μCi37,000 Bq
1 Bq2.7 × 10⁻⁵ μCi
Picocurie ↔ Becquerel
1 pCi0.037 Bq
1 Bq27.03 pCi
Complete Radioactivity Conversion Guide
Understanding radioactivity measurement systems and nuclear physics principles

Understanding Radioactivity Measurement

Radioactivity measures the rate of nuclear decay in radioactive materials. It's important to distinguish between:

  • Activity: Rate of radioactive decay (Bq, Ci)
  • Exposure: Ionization in air (R, C/kg)
  • Dose: Energy absorbed by tissue (Gy, rad)

SI vs Traditional Units

The International System of Units (SI) uses the Becquerel, while traditional units use the Curie:

SI System:Becquerel (Bq)
Traditional:Curie (Ci)
Relationship:1 Ci = 3.7 × 10¹⁰ Bq

Essential Conversion Factors

Fundamental relationships and conversion factors for radioactivity measurements.

Core Conversion Formulas
Primary Relationship
1 Curie = 3.7 × 10¹⁰ Becquerel
1 Becquerel1 disintegration/second
1 mCi3.7 × 10⁷ Bq
1 μCi3.7 × 10⁴ Bq
1 pCi0.037 Bq
Common Activity Levels
Smoke detector (Am-241)
~1 μCi
Medical Tc-99m scan
10-30 mCi
I-131 therapy
30-200 mCi
Natural background
~1 pCi/L
Nuclear reactor core
~10¹⁹ Bq

Professional Applications

Radioactivity measurements are essential across multiple industries and scientific disciplines.

Nuclear Medicine
  • • Diagnostic imaging procedures
  • • Radiotherapy treatment planning
  • • Radiopharmaceutical dosing
  • • Patient safety protocols
  • • Quality assurance testing
Nuclear Power Industry
  • • Reactor monitoring systems
  • • Nuclear waste management
  • • Fuel assembly inspection
  • • Contamination control
  • • Decommissioning planning
Environmental Monitoring
  • • Radiation safety assessments
  • • Contamination surveys
  • • Air and water monitoring
  • • Emergency response planning
  • • Public health protection
Scientific Research
  • • Nuclear physics experiments
  • • Radiochemistry studies
  • • Tracer methodology
  • • Dating techniques
  • • Fundamental research
Industrial Applications
  • • Radiographic testing (NDT)
  • • Gauge source calibration
  • • Thickness measurements
  • • Level detection systems
  • • Sterilization processes
Regulatory Compliance
  • • NRC licensing requirements
  • • IAEA safety standards
  • • Transportation regulations
  • • Waste disposal protocols
  • • International agreements

Common Radioactivity Examples

Real-world examples of radioactivity levels in various applications and environments.

Medical Isotopes
Tc-99m (heart scan)
20-30 mCi
I-131 (thyroid therapy)
30-200 mCi
F-18 FDG (PET scan)
5-20 mCi
Lu-177 (therapy)
200 mCi
Environmental Sources
Smoke detector (Am-241)
~1 μCi
Natural background
1-4 pCi/L
Radon in homes
0.4-200 pCi/L
Cosmic radiation
~0.3 mSv/yr
Industrial Sources
Ir-192 (radiography)
10-100 Ci
Co-60 (sterilization)
1-50 kCi
Cs-137 (level gauge)
1-10 mCi
Am-241 (thickness gauge)
10-100 mCi