A curie (Ci) is a unit of radioactivity that is defined as 3.7 x 10^10 disintegrations per second, which approximates the activity of one gram of radium-226. It measures the intensity of radioactivity in a sample of material.
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The curie is named after Marie and Pierre Curie, pioneers in the study of radioactivity.
1 Ci equals 3.7 x 10^10 becquerels (Bq), where one becquerel equals one disintegration per second.
The curie is a large unit and is often used with prefixes like millicurie (mCi) or microcurie (μCi) for practical measurements.
Curie is a non-SI unit but still widely used in various fields such as nuclear medicine and radiology.
Knowing how to convert between curies and becquerels is essential for understanding radioactive decay rates.
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Related terms
Becquerel (Bq): The SI unit of radioactivity, defined as one disintegration per second.
Half-Life: The time required for half the atoms in a radioactive sample to decay.