Re: Re[2]: Technical Basis Documents

[rkathren@tricity.wsu.edu (Ron L. Kathren)]

I'll take a stab at it, but I am sure there are other explanations.  dpm, of
course, is now and in past years even more so was a convenient way of
expressing activity; laboratory counters and survey meters were calibrated
in terms of dpm.  The 100 cm2 was also a very convenient size, particularly
for contamination surveys (some survey instrument probes were 100 cm2 in
area, although 60 cm2 was also common) and also a convenient area for wipes
(a 15' swath with a 1' diameter filer paper, or a square 4 x 4' on a side).
Also, one could get enough activity to detect on 100 cm2.  And, it is quite
easy to scale 100 cm2 up (to 1 m2, for example) or down.   How does this fit
with the other explanations you have received?


Ron Kathren

>     Here's one.  Someone explain where the unit "dpm/100cm^2" came from.
>     I've heard a couple of different explanations but I'm still not 
>     completely satisfied that I have the correct answer.  There may be 
>     some good technical reason or it may have been created out of 
>     convenience and nothing more.
>     
>     Glen vickers
>
>
>______________________________ Reply Separator
_________________________________
>Subject: Re: Technical Basis Documents
>Author:  radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu at INTERNET
>Date:    9/13/96 2:26 PM
>
>
>Melissa
>     
>Is this a joke?
>
>
>