Experiments with the Radioactive Count Rate SensorMeter

This Protactinium generator is a simple, clean, safe way to separate a short half life radioactive material and measure its half-life.A SensorMeter is used to record the radioactivity from the upper layer, which is largely due to Protactinium, as it varies with time.

Click here for details of a ScienceScope Protactinium Generator.

New Protactinium is only being produced in the lower layer - too far away to be recorded for the type of particle Protactinium emits.

An exponential fit has been performed in Datadisc Pro software, which recorded the results. From this the half life can be calculated or estimated directly from the graph.

Many minerals are at least slightly radioactive.

This mineral emits some high energy particles that can penetrate a sheet of plastic.

See the SensorMeter in action (350 k video)