RE: Thinking About A Geiger Counter

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: "Malcolm Watts" <m.j.watts@xxxxxxxxxxxx>

On 6 Nov 2005, at 17:44, Tesla list wrote:

> Original poster: Skip Malley <skip@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
> I am familiar with the original thread.  I was responding to one
> coiler's mistaken assumption that a Geiger counter could measure
> X-rays.
>
> The word RADIATION is a word that, unfortunately, is very much
> overused and the various meanings are under-explained.
>
> RADIATION simply means ANY ENERGY COMING FROM ANY OBJECT.
> A RADIATOR is ANY ITEM THAT EMITS ENERGY.
>
> That energy can be of any type or frequency / wavelength.  It is
> unfortunate that the words X-RAYS and RADIATION are often used
> interchangeably and one unfortunately used when the other is the
> intended meaning.  My intent in my original reply was to point this
> out.
>
> I very well know that high voltages striking objects is something that
> creates X-RAYS.  My intended meaning is that Geiger counters count
> particles, not x-rays or other radiated energy.
>
> Skip

Sorry, not true. They detect gamma rays with ease. In fact the clicks
you get from background radiation are mostly if not all, gamma rays.
When I built mine, the first measurements I took were of gamma rays
leaking out of a supposedly radiation proof locker with some Cs-137
samples inside.

Malcolm

> At 01:10 PM 11/6/2005, you wrote:
> >Unnhhh... Skip -- the original question was brought about by the very
> >interesting: "Lab Sparks make X-Rays" thread. Check the list
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Tesla list [mailto:tesla@xxxxxxxxxx]
> > > Sent: Thursday, November 03, 2005 8:07 PM
> > > To: tesla@xxxxxxxxxx
> > > Subject: Re: Thinking About A Geiger Counter
> > >
> > >
> > > Original poster: Skip Malley <skip@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > >
> > > A Geiger counter measures particles released from Uranium and has
> > > ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the relatively low frequency energy
> > > of a Tesla coil which is in the frequency range of an AM radio
> > > transmitter.  It is like using an ultrasonic microphone listening
> > > for earthquakes.  Tesla coils emit low frequency radio waves, not
> > > gamma rays.
> > >
> > > Geiger counter measurements are of ABSOLUTELY no value to a
> > > coiler, unless you live next to a Uranium mine.
> > >
> > > Skip
> > >
>
>
>
>