Practice question

Absorbed dose measured in rad or gray quantifies energy deposited per mass but ignores biological damage differences among radiation types. Alpha particles cause greater relative biological effectiveness than gamma of same absorbed energy. Rem, roentgen equivalent man, multiplies absorbed dose by quality factor and distribution factor to estimate tissue risk. Sievert now internationally replaces rem in SI units. Curie instead measures activity as disintegrations per second. Because rem incorporates quality factor, it represents biologically effective dose essential for radiation protection in field and laboratory work.