The decay chain of uranium includes radon, a noble gas. When uranium in the soil decays to

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The decay chain of uranium includes radon, a noble gas. When uranium in the soil decays to radon, it may seep into houses; this can be a significant source of radiation exposure. Most of the exposure comes from the decay products of radon, but some comes from alpha decay of the radon itself. If radon in the air in your home is at the maximum permissible level, the gas in your lungs will have an activity of about \(0.22 \mathrm{~Bq}\). Each decay generates an alpha particle with \(5.5 \mathrm{MeV}\) of energy, and essentially all that energy is deposited in lung tissue. Over the course of 1 year, what will be the dose equivalent in Sv to the approximately \(0.90 \mathrm{~kg}\) mass of your lungs?

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College Physics A Strategic Approach

ISBN: 9780321907240

3rd Edition

Authors: Randall D. Knight, Brian Jones, Stuart Field

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