The Effect of Material Order and Thickness on the Absorption of Radiation
The objective of experimentation was to observe the effect of the order of lead, aluminum, and plastic on the absorption of ionizing radiation (alpha, beta, and gamma) as well as the effect of different material thickness on the absorption of radiation. This experiment attempted to discover a more efficient method of shielding for those exposed to radiation in space as well as those who work in highly radiated areas such as nuclear power plants. Material order tests consisted of 0.10 mm thick pieces of each material placed together in varying orders in between the radiation sources and a Geiger counter, and after a brief waiting time the radiation was recorded. Material thickness tests consisted of placing each separate material with varying thicknesses (0.05 mm, 0.10 mm, and 0.15 mm) in between the radiation sources and a Geiger counter, and after a brief waiting period the radiation was recorded. Analysis of Variance tests were used to deduce whether or not there was a significant difference in the absorption of radiation between different material orders as well as different material thicknesses. The results from the statistical analysis showed that there was a significant difference between the radiation absorption for varying material orders; the order of plastic, lead, and aluminum having the highest mean average of radiation with 0.1333 µsV while the order of aluminum, lead, and plastic had the lowest mean average of radiation with only 0.0667 µsV. The results also showed that there was a significant difference in radiation absorption for varying material thickness; more specifically, the thicker the shielding material was, the more radiation was absorbed.
Research Conducted By:
Aaron Perry
Warren Mott High School
Alex Wielbinski
Lake Shore High School
Warren Consolidated Schools