Becquerel facts for kids
The becquerel (pronounced BECK-uh-rel), often written as Bq, is a special unit of measurement. It helps us understand how much radioactivity a material has. Imagine tiny particles breaking apart very quickly; the becquerel measures how many of these breaks happen each second.
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What is the Becquerel?
The becquerel is a standard unit used in science. It measures the "activity" of a radioactive substance. This activity tells us how many atomic nuclei in a material decay, or break apart, every single second.
Measuring Radioactivity
Radioactivity happens when unstable atoms release energy and tiny particles. This process is called radioactive decay. The becquerel tells us how many of these decays happen every second. For example, if a material has an activity of 1 Bq, it means one atom in that material decays every second.
Why is it Important?
Scientists and doctors use the becquerel to measure radioactive substances. This is important for many things, like:
- Checking the safety of materials and places.
- Using radioactive substances in medicine, such as for medical scans or cancer treatment.
- Understanding how much natural radiation is around us in the environment.
Who was Henri Becquerel?
The unit is named after a famous French scientist, Henri Becquerel. He was a pioneer in studying radioactivity. In 1896, he discovered that uranium salts gave off a type of invisible ray. This discovery led to much more research into radioactivity. He even shared the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903 for his work.
Larger Measurements
Sometimes, materials are very radioactive. For these, scientists use larger units based on the becquerel. For example, a petabecquerel is a huge number: it's 1,000,000,000,000,000 (one quadrillion) times bigger than a single becquerel!
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Images for kids
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Graphic showing relationships between radioactivity and detected ionizing radiation
See also
In Spanish: Bequerelio para niños
