Radiation Converter

This converter is for the absorbed dose rate: how much radiation energy a material absorbs each second. Its SI unit is the gray per second (Gy/s), one joule absorbed per kilogram each second. The older unit is the rad per second, and 1 Gy = 100 rad.

For X-rays and gamma rays, one gray equals one sievert, the unit of the dose's effect on the body, so Gy/s and Sv/s are the same number here, and 1 rem = 0.01 Sv. For other radiation, such as alpha particles, the sievert value is higher.

The dose itself, not per second, is converted in the Radiation - Absorbed Dose Converter.

Dose rates per hour

Dose rates are usually read per hour, in µSv/h, while this converter works per second. Divide a value per hour by 3,600 before entering it. For example, a typical natural background of 0.2 µSv/h:

1. Per second: divide by 3,600.

   0.2 / 3,600 = 0.0000556 µSv/s

2. In nGy/s, for gamma rays: 1 µGy is 1,000 nGy.

   0.0000556 µGy/s = 0.0556 nGy/s

Over a year, 0.2 µSv/h adds up to about 1.75 mSv, while the worldwide average from natural sources is about 2.4 mSv a year.

Common conversions

Dose rate units

• Gray/second (Gy/s): Gray per second is the standard unit representing the absorption of one joule of radiation energy per kilogram of matter per second (1 Gy/s = 1 J/kg/s).

• Petagray/second (PGy/s): 1 PGy/s = 10^15 Gy/s (1,000,000,000,000,000 Gy/s).

• Teragray/second (TGy/s): 1 TGy/s = 10^12 Gy/s (1,000,000,000,000 Gy/s).

• Gigagray/second (GGy/s): 1 GGy/s = 10^9 Gy/s (1,000,000,000 Gy/s).

• Megagray/second (MGy/s): 1 MGy/s = 10^6 Gy/s (1,000,000 Gy/s).

• Kilogray/second (kGy/s): 1 kGy/s = 10^3 Gy/s (1,000 Gy/s).

• Milligray/second (mGy/s): 1 mGy/s = 10^(-3) Gy/s (0.001 Gy/s).

• Microgray/second (μGy/s): 1 μGy/s = 10^(-6) Gy/s (0.000001 Gy/s).

• Nanogray/second (nGy/s): 1 nGy/s = 10^(-9) Gy/s (0.000000001 Gy/s).

• Picogray/second (pGy/s): 1 pGy/s = 10^(-12) Gy/s (0.000000000001 Gy/s).

• Femtogray/second (fGy/s): 1 fGy/s = 10^(-15) Gy/s (0.000000000000001 Gy/s).

• Rad/second (rad/s): The rad per second is an older unit, representing the absorption of 0.01 Gray per second, or 1 rad/s = 0.01 Gy/s.

• Joule/kilogram/second (J/kg/s): The joule per kilogram per second is an equivalent of Gray per second, meaning that 1 J/kg/s = 1 Gy/s.

• Watt/kilogram (W/kg): The watt per kilogram is an equivalent to joule per kilogram per second, or 1 W/kg = 1 J/kg/s = 1 Gy/s.

• Sievert/second (Sv/s): The sievert per second measures the biological effect of radiation, taking into account the type of radiation and its impact on living tissue. The conversion factor is 1 Sv/s = 1 Gy/s, used for X-rays and gamma rays.

• Rem/second (rem/s): The rem per second is an older unit measuring the biological effect of radiation. The conversion factor is 1 rem/s = 0.01 Sv/s = 0.01 Gy/s.