Radiation Safety Practice Exam

What is the role of the battery in a RADIAC instrument?

1. To store ion pairs

2. To apply a continuous voltage potential to the anode and detector wall

3. To cool the detector chamber

4. To illuminate the meter display

The correct answer is: To apply a continuous voltage potential to the anode and detector wall

The battery in a RADIAC instrument plays a crucial role by providing the necessary continuous voltage potential to the anode and the detector wall. This voltage is essential for the ionization process, allowing the instrument to detect and measure ionizing radiation effectively. When radiation interacts with the detector, it creates ion pairs, and the applied voltage helps to collection of these ions, leading to the creation of a measurable current proportional to the radiation intensity. This function is critical for ensuring accurate and reliable readings in radiation detection, as it enables the instrument to convert the ionizing events into a signal that can be quantified, thus informing the user about the radiation levels present in the environment. Other options, while they may describe functions related to radiation detection, do not accurately reflect the primary role of the battery in supporting the ionization detection mechanism of a RADIAC instrument.