Simulation of Background radiation
Simulation Overview
A Geiger counter simulator showing background radiation in real time. Six toggleable sources fill the detector chamber with colour-coded particle tracks — each type rendered physically correctly:
- α (orange) — short, thick tracks; radon gas, stopped by air
- β (green) — medium curved tracks; food and water (K-40, C-14)
- γ (yellow) — long straight tracks; ground rocks, medical, nuclear
- μ (violet) — full-height vertical muon tracks; cosmic rays
The live CPM counter updates every 0.5 seconds. The rolling graph shows count rate over 2 minutes. The contribution bar shows each source’s share of total dose. Toggle sources on/off to see how each one affects the reading.
All percentages match PHE data — radon 50%, medical 14%, ground γ 14%, food 11%, cosmic 10%, nuclear <1%.
Class Activity — “What’s in My Dose?” (10–15 min, KS4)
Task: Students start with only Radon and Cosmic Rays active (natural outdoor sources only). They record the CPM, then add each source one at a time and record how the count changes.
| Source added | CPM reading | % of total |
|---|---|---|
| Radon + Cosmic only | ||
| + Ground γ-rays | ||
| + Food & Water | ||
| + Medical |
Discussion questions:
- Which single source contributes the most to your annual dose — and why is it hard to avoid?
- Medical radiation is man-made — does that make it more dangerous than radon?
- Why do pilots and astronauts receive a higher dose than people at sea level?
Exit question: Name two natural and one artificial source of background radiation. State the particle type each emits.