THE ACTIVITY OF RADIOACTIVE SUBSTANCE

NurHijrah Muthmainnah R1) Nurul Ikra2), Nursyahitnah3), Muh. Ramlan4)

Laboratorium Fisika Universitar Negeri Makassar

muutmainnahnuur243@gmail.com

Abstract – The purpose of this experiment is to investigate the characteristics of radioactive emissions of several radioactive
substances, investigate and compare the permeability of beta and gamma rays and investigate the ability of various materials
to absorb radiation and also to investigate the relationship between the distance from the radioactive source with the activity
of the source using several sources of radioactive substances such as alpha, beta and gamma and background using
geigermuller tubes to detect the presence of radiation. In achieving the objective of the experiment 3 activities carried out,
first to recognize the activity of radioactive substances by comparing the results of cutting at each radiation source placed at
the same distance from the Geiger Muller tube, then on the experimental results it was proven that beta rays are greater in
ionizing compared to gamma rays, second to measure the penetrating power of radiation sources beta and gamma by using
materials (Al and Pb) as radiation inhibitors then the experimental results proved that the penetrating power of gamma rays
is greater than beta rays and the third to determine the validity of inverse square law using radiation sources beta and gamma
by placing the radiation source at different distances the experimental results prove that the inverse square law is more
applicable to beta rays than gamma. Referring to the fourth objective of this practicum, it turns out that the greater the
distance (distance) of the radiation source, the smaller the source activity. All statements are concluded based on the
acquisition of data plotted in the graph and see the standard deviation.

Key Words: Radioctive, Alpha, Beta.

INTRODUCTION

Then on February 26, 1896 Becquerel prepare plates photos and other uranium salt but because of
unfavorable weather, he put it in a dark drawer. And very unexpectedly turned out the effects of radiation on a
photographic plate is very strong compared to when exposed to sunlight. Therefore Becquerel concluded that the
radiation caused by the influence of uranium salts. So Becquerel had discovered a new phenomenon, and the
phenomenon by Madam Curie called Radioactivity (Sukarna, 2017).
The Geiger Muller detector is a radiation counter that works to detect and count radiation. The Geiger
detector consists of a cylindrical tube at the center of which extends with an anode wire and on the inner cylinder
sheath with a skin as a cathode. Detector Geiger Muller serves to determine or count the amount of radioactive
radiation. The workings of the Geiger Muller detector are detecting radiation from a source or radioactive
material (Sumardi, 1994).
The activity of a radioactive nuclide sample is rate of change of the atomic nucleus formation if N denotes
the number of nuclei in a sample at a time activity R is:

R = -dN/dt
A radioactive nucleus is a nucleus that emits radiocatal rays (α, β, or γ rays). As a result of this beam of
light, the radioactive core is getting smaller (decays). The rate of change of the radioactive core is called core
activity. The greater the activity, the more nuclei decay each second (the activity record only relates to the
number of decays per second, independent of what light is emitted). The core activity unit is curie:

1 curie (Ci) = 3,7 x 10 10 peluruhuan /detik

The minus sign is used so that R becomes positive quantity because dN / dt intrinsically worth negative.
According to Henri Becquerel getting radioactivity in 1986,

1 becquerel = 1 Bq = 1 event / s
(Beiser, 1999).
Alpha, beta and gamma rays have several different characteristics ranging from permeability to ionization
 Figure 1. Penetration of α, β and γ ray radiation
Nature of alpha rays
One of the most common laws of nature is the inverse square law. One scientist states that the inverse square
law is characteristic of what will come from a point source and continues to move straight. Light and sound
behave according to the inverse square law when exiting the point source. The intensity of light and sound is a
quarter smaller when moving 2 times away from the source. This is why this relationship is known as the inverse
square law. Will this radiation behave like that anyway? To find the answer, it will be carried out in activity
3(Sukarna, 2017).
Based on this practicum, the aim is to investigate the radioactivity emission characteristics of several
radioactive substances, investigate and compare the penetrating power of beta and gamma rays, investigate the
ability of various materials to absorb radiation, and investigate the relationship between the distance of the
radioactive source with source activity.

EXPERIMENTAL METHOD

In this experiment, three activities are needed. The first activity is radioactive activity, the first activity
measures the permeability of beta and gamma rays, and the third activity is the inverse square law. The working
principle in this experiment is to utilize the filling gas ionization on the active medium in the detector due to
interaction with the radiation particles, so the electron ion pair will arise.In doing this experiment, the component
tools are used, the first set of barriers that serve as a barrier to radiation in activity 2, the sample holder that
serves as a place to put the radiation source and the barrier material at different distances, cable GM serves as a
connector between tube gauges Geiger with ratemeter, tube gauges Geiger serves as a detector of radiation,
rangefinders ST360 serves as the reader how much radiation ionizes the argon gas in the tube borer Geiger,
micrometer screw serves as a tool for measuring the thickness of the barrier, the sample holder serves as the
location of the radiation source, 1 set of PC applications ST360 serves as a digital reader on ratemeter, and of
course the main ingredient is a radioactive source.
The analytical equations used in this experiment are:
It = Io e- μt
It
=e - μt
Io
It
ln( ) = −μt
Io
Io
μt =ln
It
And as for the graph analysis are:
y = mx+c

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Activity 1: Get to know radioactive activity

Beta Radiation Source : Sr-90
 Maximum Activity : 153
Average Activity : 135,8667
Standard Deviation : 9,000894

Gamma Radiation Source : Co-60

Maximum Activity : 20
Average Activity : 12,0667
Standard Deviation : 3,503

Source of Background Radiation

Maximum Activity : 5
Average Activity : 1,633
Standard Deviation : 1,35

Activity 2: Measuring the penetraring power of alpha and gamma rays

9
8
7
6
5
Frekuensi

4
3
2
1
0
121-127
128-134
135-141
142-148
149-155
interval CPS

Graph 1.1CPS average value at beta radiation source

12
10
8
6
frekuensi

4
2
0
5-7;
8-10;
11-13;
14-16
17-19
20-22
interval Cps
 Graph 1.2 CPS average value at gamma radiation source

25
20
15
frekuensi

10
5
0
0-2
3-5;
interval Cps

3.5
3
2.5 f(x) = − 0.03 x + 2.85
R² = 0.9
CPS Rata-rata

2
1.5
1
0.5
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Ketebalan t (mm)

Graph 2.1 Relationship of CPS Average with thickness of Aluminum (mm) at beta radiation sources

8
7
6
f(x) = 3.6 x − 1.61
CPS Rata-rata

5 R² = 0.39
4
3
2
1
0
1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2 2.2
Ketebalan t (mm)
 Graph 2.2 Relationship of CPS Average with Lead thickness (mm) at beta radiation sources

3.5
3
2.5
CPS Rata-rata

2 f(x) = − 0.97 x + 12.74

R² = 0.21
1.5
1
0.5
0
10.6 10.8 11 11.2 11.4 11.6 11.8 12
Ketebalan t (mm)

Graph 2.3 Relationship of CPS Average with thickness of Aluminum (mm) at gamma radiation sources
8
7
6 f(x) = − 1.44 x + 16.89
R² = 0.94
CPS Rata-rata

5
4
3
2
1
0
6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 10.5 11
Ketebalan t (mm)

Graph 2.4 Relationship of CPS Average with Lead thickness (mm) at gamma radiation sources
4.5
4 f(x) = 1.62 x − 0.8
3.5 R² = 0.94
3
ln (I0/It)

2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5
Ketebalan t (mm)

Graph 2.5 Relationship of ln (I0/It) with thickness of Aluminum (mm) at beta radiation sources
 4.8
4.7
4.6
f(x) = − 0.06 x + 4.75
4.5 R² = 0.35
4.4
ln (I0/It)
4.3
4.2
4.1
4
3.9
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Ketebalan t (mm)

Graph 2.6 Relationship of ln (I0/It) with Lead thickness (mm) at beta radiation source
0.14
0.12
0.1 f(x) = 0.02 x + 0.05
0.08 R² = 0.21
ln (I0/It)

0.06
0.04
0.02
0
0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5
Ketebalan t (mm)

Graph 2.7 Relationship of ln (I0/It) with the thickness of Aluminum (mm) at gamma radiation sources
0.6

0.5 f(x) = 0.08 x + 0

R² = 0.96
0.4
ln (I0/It)

0.3

0.2

0.1

0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Ketebalan t (mm)

Graph 2.8 Relationship of ln (I0/It) with Lead thickness (mm) at gamma radiation sources
 140
120
f(x) = − 17.22 x + 150.01
100 R² = 0.85

CPS Rata-rata
80
60
40
20
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Jarak D (cm)

Graph 3.1 Relationship between average CPS and distance of beta radiation sources from G-M tubes (cm)
14
12
10 f(x) = − 1.43 x + 13.91
CPS Rata-rata

R² = 0.88
8
6
4
2
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Jarak D (cm)

Graph 3.2 Relationship between average CPS and the distance of the gamma radiation source from the G-M tube
(cm)
140
f(x) = 445.34 x + 23.55
120 R² = 0.99
100
CPS Rata-rata

80
60
40
20
0
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3
Jarak 1/D^2 (cm)

Graph 3.3 Relationship between mean CPS with inverse square distance at beta radiation sources
 14
12 f(x) = 35.93 x + 3.48
R² = 0.95
10

CPS Rata-rata
8
6
4
2
0
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3
Jarak 1/D^2 (cm)

Graph 3.4 Relationship between mean CPS with inverse square distance at gamma radiation sources
140
120 f(x) = − 79.22 ln(x) + 181.46
R² = 0.96
100
CPS Rata-rata

80
60
40
20
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Jarak D (cm)

Graph 3.5 Relationship between average CPS and distance of beta radiation sources from G-M tubes (cm) on
logaritmic graphs
14
12
f(x) = − 6.53 ln(x) + 16.43
10 R² = 0.97
CPS Rata-rata

8
6
4
2
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Jarak D (cm)

Graph 3.6 Relationship between average CPS with the distance of the gamma radiation source from the G-M tube
(cm) on the logaritmic graph

CONCLUSION

Based on the results of experiments that have been carried out that the source that has the highest activity is a
source of beta radiation, then gamma and the smallest is background radiation. The translucency of the source is
different for each material (material) which has a good ability to absorb radiation is Aluminum. Based on graph
analysis it can be seen that the radiation behavior is subject to the inverse square law, where according to the
inverse square law, the farther the distance of the radioactive source from the end of the GM tube the smaller the
source activity. The average CPS average with the distance squared is not constant.

REFERENCES

Beiser, Arthur 1999. KonsepFisika Modern.PenerbitErlangga:Bandung.

Sukarna, I Made 2017. Penemuan Keradioaktifan dan Kestabilan Inti.Radio Kimia.
Sumardi Yos, 1994. Fisika Modern. Jakarta: Universitas Terbuka