Which one of the following can be used to confirm whether drinking water contains a gamma emitting isotope or not?
Reviewed by Dalvoy
UPSC Civil Services preparation
- AMicroscope
- BLead plate
- CScintillation counterCorrect
- DSpectrophotometer
Explanation
The correct answer is C because a scintillation counter is a device specifically designed to detect and measure ionizing radiation. When gamma rays from a radioactive isotope in the water strike a scintillator material within the device, they produce flashes of light. These light pulses are then converted into electrical signals and counted, allowing for the detection of radioactive contamination.
The other options are incorrect for this purpose: a microscope is used for viewing small objects, a lead plate is used for shielding radiation rather than detecting it, and a spectrophotometer measures the intensity of light absorbed or transmitted by a chemical substance, not nuclear radiation.
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