A researcher is analyzing a mineral specimen containing a beta-emitting isotope over a short duration in a laboratory.
Identify a suitable detector that the researcher can connect to a scaler/counter to measure the rate of ionizing events from this specimen.
State two common sources of background radiation that contribute to the baseline count rate in the laboratory.
Describe the experimental procedure the researcher should use to measure this background radiation and subsequently obtain the net count rate of the specimen.
The active isotope in the specimen decays by emitting beta-minus (β−\beta^-β−) radiation. Describe how the proton number and nucleon number of a nucleus change as a result of this decay.
State two practical precautions the researcher must take to minimize their radiation exposure when handling this beta-emitting specimen in the laboratory.