student (Lisa) measures the background radiation due to energetic particles in the Dunn Laboratory with a Geiger counter. She samples the radiation rate by recording the number of events in consecutive one-minute intervals. Her counter records:
13, 15, 21, 15, 10, 18, 16, 13, 25, 14, 18, 18
What is the average background count rate (in cpm)?
Correct answer:
computer acts: 16.25
What is the standard deviation of this count rate?
Correct answer:
computer acts: 4.15
If the radiation events obey Poisson statistics, what should Lisa expect for the standard deviation if she counted for 1000 intervals?
Correct answer:
computer acts: 31.62
If a gamma radiation source that is known to have an average activity of 80 cpm alone, what should Lisa expect for the average count rate when measuring this source's activity in the laboratory?
Correct answer:
computer acts: 46