Tissue damage caused by radiation is measured in units of sieverts (Sv) or rems. On average, a person living in the United States is exposed to 3.6 mSv of radiation each year. Space shuttle astronauts are exposed to about 25 rems of cosmic radiation during a mission. Roughly how does this quantity compare with the annual dose the astronaut would have received on the ground in the United States? (1 Sv = 100 rems)

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

25 rems is equivalent to 0.25 Sv (since 1 Sv = 100 rems). The average annual dose on the ground is 3.6 mSv, which is 0.0036 Sv. Therefore, 0.25 Sv is a bit less than 100 times more than 0.0036 Sv.

Tissue Damage Caused by Radiation Is Measured in Units of Sieverts