A 255-gram laboratory rat is exposed to 23.2 rads. How many grays did the rat receive? How many joules were absorbed by the rat?

Verified step by step guidance

1. Convert the radiation dose from rads to grays. Recall that 1 rad is equivalent to 0.01 gray. Use the conversion factor to calculate the dose in grays.
2. Calculate the energy absorbed by the rat in joules. Use the formula: absorbed dose in grays (Gy) multiplied by the mass of the rat in kilograms (kg) and the specific energy absorption rate of 1 Gy = 1 J/kg. First, convert the mass of the rat from grams to kilograms.
3. Multiply the converted mass of the rat by the dose in grays to find the total energy absorbed in joules.
4. Summarize the results: State the dose the rat received in grays and the total energy absorbed in joules.
5. Verify the units and calculations to ensure accuracy of the results.

Key Concepts

Radiation Units

Radiation exposure is measured in different units, with the rad and gray being common ones. One rad is equivalent to 0.01 gray, which is the SI unit for absorbed dose. Understanding the conversion between these units is essential for calculating the dose received by the rat.

Absorbed Dose

The absorbed dose refers to the amount of energy deposited by ionizing radiation in a given mass of tissue. It is expressed in grays (Gy), where 1 Gy equals 1 joule per kilogram. This concept is crucial for determining the biological effects of radiation on living organisms.

Energy Absorption Calculation

To find the energy absorbed by the rat, one must multiply the absorbed dose (in grays) by the mass of the rat (in kilograms). This calculation provides the total energy absorbed in joules, which is important for assessing the potential impact of radiation exposure on the rat's health.