A rad is a unit of measurement for the absorbed dose of ionizing radiation. It represents the amount of energy deposited by radiation in a material.
Here's a breakdown:
- Definition: Rad stands for "radiation absorbed dose."
- What it measures: It quantifies the energy absorbed per unit mass of a material exposed to ionizing radiation. This material could be anything from water and tissue to air.
- Energy Deposition: An absorbed dose of 1 rad means that 1 gram of the material absorbed 100 ergs of energy from the radiation. (An erg is a unit of energy).
- Type of Radiation: The "rad" measurement doesn't specify the type of ionizing radiation (e.g., alpha particles, beta particles, gamma rays, X-rays, neutrons). It simply measures the energy deposited, regardless of the radiation source.
- SI Unit Equivalent: The SI unit equivalent of the rad is the Gray (Gy). 1 Gy = 100 rad.
In simpler terms, the rad tells us how much energy from radiation is getting soaked up by something.
