Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
The becquerel (Bq) is the SI unit of radioactive decay, defined as one disintegration per second. It measures the activity of a quantity of radioactive material.
5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test
1 Bq represents one nuclear transformation or disintegration per second.
Named after Henri Becquerel, who discovered radioactivity in 1896.
Commonly used to quantify radiation levels in biological systems and environmental contexts.
Often compared to the curie (Ci), where 1 Ci = 3.7 x 10^10 Bq.
Used in medical diagnostics and treatments involving radioactive materials.
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Related terms
Curie (Ci): Another unit of radioactivity; one curie equals 3.7 x 10^10 disintegrations per second.
Half-Life: The time required for half of the radioactive atoms in a sample to decay.
\u03bcSv/h: (Microsievert per hour) A unit measuring the dose rate of ionizing radiation exposure.