Level 6: Doses

Radiation and the atom · level 6 of 8 · rough age 13-14 (a guide for parents; anyone can start anywhere)

How much radiation is too much? This level measures it: first as energy absorbed, in grays, then as harm, in sieverts. It climbs the ladder of everyday doses, from a dental X-ray to a year in space, and then adds up the dose for a whole trip to Mars and back.

Lesson	You will be able to
Absorbed dose	Work out an absorbed dose in grays
The sievert	Turn an absorbed dose into a dose in sieverts
Everyday doses	Compare everyday doses with the limits
The trip to Mars	Work out the dose on the way to Mars
On the surface of Mars	Compare the dose on Mars with the dose at home
A whole mission	Add up a mission's dose and its risk

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