How many disintegrations per minute of radon atoms would be in a gallon container with 4 pCi/L?

To determine how many disintegrations per minute of radon atoms would be present in a gallon container with a concentration of 4 pCi/L, it's essential to first understand the relationship between picocuries (pCi) and disintegrations.

One picocurie is equivalent to 2.22 disintegrations per minute. Therefore, to convert the level of radon measured in pCi/L to disintegrations per minute, the concentration must be multiplied by the conversion factor. Since one gallon is approximately 3.785 liters, we need to calculate the number of disintegrations per minute for the entire gallon.

Starting with the concentration of radon:

1. Convert the volume from gallons to liters: 1 gallon = 3.785 L.

2. Multiply the concentration (4 pCi/L) by the volume in liters (3.785 L):

• This gives us: 4 pCi/L × 3.785 L = 15.14 pCi total in the gallon.

3. Next, convert picocuries to disintegrations per minute:

• 15.14 pCi × 2.22 disintegrations/minute/pCi = 33.6 disintegrations/minute