A \(3.6-\mathrm{kg}\) laboratory animal receives a single dose of \(8.92 \times 10^{-4}\) Gy. (a) How many rads does the animal receive? (b) How many joules does the animal absorb?

Radiation dosage is a crucial topic in many scientific fields, including medical physics, radiology, and radiation protection. A common unit for measuring radiation dose is the Gray (Gy), but sometimes it needs to be converted to rads for specific applications. One Gray is equivalent to 100 rads.

To convert Grays to rads, you multiply the dose in Grays by 100. For example, if an animal receives a dose of \(8.92 \times 10^{-4}\) Gy, then the dose in rads will be \(8.92 \times 10^{-4} \text{ Gy}\) multiplied by 100, which equals 0.0892 rads.

This conversion is essential because different studies, reports, and older scientific literature may still use rads. Understanding both units allows for better comprehension and comparison of radiation doses in various contexts.

After determining the radiation dose in rads, the next step is to calculate the absorbed energy, which is the amount of energy absorbed per unit mass of an object or tissue. This is measured in joules (J).

One rad corresponds to an absorption of \(0.01\) joules of energy per kilogram of mass. To find the total absorbed energy, you multiply the dose in rads by the mass of the object (in this case, the animal) and by 0.01. For instance, if the dose is 0.0892 rads and the animal weighs 3.6 kg, the absorbed energy is:

\(0.0892 \text{ rads} \times 3.6 \text{ kg} \times 0.01 \text{ J/kg per rad} = 0.0032112 \text{ J}\)

This means that the animal absorbs about 0.0032 joules of energy. This calculation is vital in understanding the actual impact of the radiation dose on the animal since energy absorption directly correlates to potential biological effects.

Animals are often subject to radiation doses in various research and medical contexts. Understanding radiation dosage and its effects on animals is crucial for ensuring their safety and the validity of scientific experiments.

When calculating radiation dosage for animals, it's important to consider:

• The species and size of the animal, as different animals may absorb radiation differently.
• The type of radiation and its energy level, as different types and energies of radiation have different biological impacts.
• The duration and frequency of radiation exposure, as prolonged or repeated exposure can lead to cumulative effects.

Properly calculating and monitoring radiation doses help minimize harmful effects and ensure the well-being of the animals. Additionally, this information can be critical when translating findings to potential applications in human health and medicine.