Instruments
Geiger Counter
Also Known As Geiger-Muller Counter
Citation Formats
General Reference
APA Style
BibTeX
A Geiger counter detects ionizing radiation, alpha and beta particles, gamma rays, and neutrons, by amplifying the tiny electrical pulse a single particle produces when it ionizes gas inside a sealed tube, converting an event too faint to sense directly into an audible click or a needle deflection. Hans Geiger developed the detection principle with Ernest Rutherford in 1908 while working in Rutherford's Manchester laboratory, and Geiger and his student Walther Muller built the sealed, mass producible Geiger-Muller tube in 1928 that made the instrument practical outside a research lab.
Facts
Invented YearSourced to the subject's own account MeasuresSourced to the subject's own accountIonizing radiation: alpha particles, beta particles and gamma rays. 1 Operating PrincipleSourced to the subject's own accountHigh-energy radiation ionizes a low-pressure inert gas inside a tube held at high voltage, briefly making the gas conductive; the resulting pulse is amplified by the Townsend discharge effect into an easily measured signal. 1 ResolutionSourced to the subject's own accountDead time limits accurate counting above roughly 10,000 to 100,000 counts per second. 1 Operating RangeSourced to the subject's own accountThe Geiger-Muller tube operates at a high voltage of roughly 400 to 900 volts. 1 Cross-Tradition Connections
Invented By
Supervised Hans Geiger's development of the original 1908 particle-counting apparatus at the University of Manchester.
Hans Geiger, Scientists Developed the original 1908 particle-counting apparatus under Ernest Rutherford's supervision, then built the sealed Geiger-Muller tube with his doctoral student Walther Muller in 1928.
Used In
Sources
Frequently Asked Questions
How Does a Geiger Counter Detect Radiation?
It turns the tiny ionizing pulse of a single particle into a click or a needle deflection you can actually sense.
High-energy radiation ionizes a low-pressure inert gas sealed inside the counter's tube, which is held at a high voltage of roughly 400 to 900 volts. That ionization briefly makes the gas conductive, and the resulting electrical pulse is amplified by the Townsend discharge effect into a signal strong enough to register as an audible click or a needle deflection. The instrument responds to alpha particles, beta particles and gamma rays. Hans Geiger developed the detection principle with Ernest Rutherford in 1908 in Rutherford's Manchester laboratory, and Geiger and his student Walther Muller built the sealed, mass producible Geiger-Muller tube in 1928 that made the instrument practical outside a research lab.
Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.
View At A Past Year
The atlas records no dated fact of its own for this entry, so there is no other year to choose.