PRACTICE MODULE OF HALF VALUE LAYER

A. Purpose
1. Learn about decrease of radiation intensity to material thickness based on attenuation
teory.
2. Learn about factors which can be effect Half Value Layer from material.
3. Calculate material thickness is needed to make radiation intensity to be a half from
initial radiation.
4. Make graphic of decrease radiation intensity vs material thickness.
5. Determine Half Value layer from some materials by counting with GM and choose the
best material to be shield.
B. Explaination
Half Value Layer is thickness of the materials which is needed to reduce radiation intensity to
be a half. Half Value Layer( HVL) invers proportion with Attenuation Coefficient. Half Value
Layer is can effected by radiation Intensity, thickeness of the material, and kind of the
material.
0.693
𝐻𝑉𝐿 = 𝜇
................................................(2)

𝑁𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙
𝑙𝑛 = −𝜇𝑥
𝑁𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙
y = ax +b..............................................................(4)
then we will get the graph lnN/No vs thickness of the material. lnN/No as y axis and
thickness of the material as x axis. From the graphic we will find linear equation. So, we can find
a as coefficient attenuation.
(𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑐𝑒 + 𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔)−𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑
N final(cps) = ..........................(5)
𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒
𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑐𝑒−𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑
N initial(cps) = 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒
........................................(6)

C. Methode

1. equipments
Pinset
GM Counter
2. Material
Radiation source of Cs-137
3. Steps Working
a. Preparation
1) GM counter is turned on, nest we set the time about 30 s, High Voltage (HV) we set
at 760 Volt.
 b. Counting
1) Count of Background is counted by GM Couter 9 times (3 times at initial, 3 times at
middle, and 3 times at final practice). Count without radiation source and shielding.
2) Radiation source of Cs-137 is counted without use the shielding by GM Counter 3
times at the distance 4 cm from detector.
3) Radiation source of Cs-137 137 is counted with the shielding by GM Counter 3 times
for each kind of the materials(shileding) will be used (Pb 3 types, Al 10 types, and
plastik 2 types) at the distance 4 cm from detector too and shielding at the distance
3 cm.

D. Data
a. Information of radiation source
b. When the radiation source is made
c. What are activities inside radiation source

E. Conclusion
We choose the best material which has the smallest HVL to be shielding and not emit
radiation when radiated by source radiation, for example X-ray bremstrahlung when Pb
(lead) is radiated by Beta energy.