The basic physical dose quantity: energy absorbed per kilogram of the material, in grays (1 Gy = 1 J/kg) or, in US practice, the rad (1 rad = 0.01 Gy). It applies to any material, from tissue to electronics, and says nothing about biological effect by itself. Radiotherapy, high-dose accident assessment and materials testing work in absorbed dose, while radiation protection weights it further into equivalent and effective dose.
Absorbed dose to the cable insulation over 40 years is about 50 kilogray, inside its qualification.
Also heard as
- physical dose
Related terms
Gray
The SI unit of absorbed dose, equal to one joule of energy deposited per kilogram.
Equivalent dose
Absorbed dose to an organ multiplied by a weighting factor for the type of radiation, measured in sieverts.
Effective dose
A whole-body dose figure that adds up organ doses weighted by each tissue's sensitivity to radiation risk.
Deterministic effects
Radiation injuries that appear only above a threshold dose and become more severe as dose increases.