Radioactivity Converter
Convert between different radioactivity units including becquerels, curies, rutherford, and disintegrations per second
Conversion Settings
No value entered
Conversion Result
Conversion result will appear here
Enter a value and click "Convert" to start
⚠️ Safety Note:
This tool is for educational and reference purposes only. Always follow proper radiation safety protocols and consult qualified professionals for radioactive material handling.
Common Reference Values:
- • 1 Curie = 3.7 × 10¹⁰ Becquerels
- • 1 Rutherford = 10⁶ Becquerels
- • Natural background: ~0.1-0.2 μSv/h
- • Medical X-ray: ~0.1 mSv
About Radioactivity Converter
A comprehensive radioactivity converter tool that allows you to convert between various radioactivity measurement units. Whether you're working in nuclear physics, medical physics, radiation safety, or scientific research, this tool provides accurate conversions between becquerels, curies, rutherford, terabecquerels, gigabecquerels, and disintegrations per second.
Why use a Radioactivity Converter?
Radioactivity conversion is essential in nuclear science, medical physics, and radiation safety. Different countries and applications use different radioactivity units - becquerels in the SI system, curies in traditional measurements, and specialized units like rutherford in nuclear research. This tool eliminates conversion errors and ensures accurate measurements for safety and scientific calculations.
Who is it for?
This tool is perfect for nuclear physicists, medical physicists, radiation safety officers, nuclear engineers, laboratory technicians, students studying nuclear science, and anyone working with radioactive materials that need accurate activity unit conversions.
How to use the tool
Enter the radioactivity value you want to convert in the input field
Select the source unit from the dropdown (becquerels, curies, etc.)
Choose the target unit you want to convert to
Click 'Convert' to see the result
Use the swap button to quickly reverse the conversion direction
Copy the result or use the clear button to start over
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I convert radioactivity units?
Enter the source value, pick the 'from' and 'to' units, and click Convert to see the result. Supports Bq (becquerel, SI), kBq, MBq, GBq, TBq, Ci (curie, legacy), mCi, μCi. Copy the converted value to clipboard. Conversion runs entirely in your browser — values never leave the device. Results are shown to up to 12 significant digits with trailing zeros removed; there is no precision setting.
What radioactivity units does this converter support?
Bq (becquerel, SI), kBq, MBq, GBq, TBq, Ci (curie, legacy), mCi, μCi. The set covers SI base and derived units, common imperial/US-customary units, and domain-specific units where relevant. SI prefixes (k, M, G, m, μ, n) apply where applicable. For any unit not in the list that you need converted, mention it via feedback — the unit set evolves based on user requests.
How accurate is the radioactivity conversion?
Conversions use the internationally-defined factors where they exist; the result is rounded to 12 significant digits for display. Bq = s⁻¹ (decays per second) is the SI definition. The curie was fixed at exactly 3.7 × 10¹⁰ decays/second in 1953 (ICRU) and adopted by the CIPM in 1964; 1975 is when the becquerel was adopted as the SI unit. Output is rounded to 12 significant digits for display, and there is no setting to change that.
What's the formula to convert curie (Ci) to becquerel (Bq)?
Bq = Ci × 3.7 × 10¹⁰. Medical isotope dosing (kBq to GBq range for tracers and therapy), nuclear physics, radiation safety (workplace contamination limits in Bq/cm²), environmental monitoring (Bq/L for water, Bq/kg for soil). For other radioactivity-unit pairs, the tool applies the appropriate exact conversion factor automatically — no manual formula needed. Results are rounded to 12 significant digits, which is more than engineering specs typically need.
What's the key accuracy caveat for radioactivity conversion?
**Becquerel (Bq, SI) vs curie (Ci, legacy US) — huge magnitude difference**. 1 Ci = 37 billion Bq = 37 GBq. The curie was originally defined as the activity of 1 gram of radium-226 (~3.7 × 10¹⁰ decays per second). Modern SI uses Bq (1 decay per second). **Activity vs dose** — activity (Bq) is the rate of radioactive decays; dose (Sv) is what's absorbed by a body. Use [Radiation Dose Converter](/tools/radiation-dose-converter/) for dose, this tool for activity.
What's a common real-world use case for radioactivity conversion?
Medical isotope dosing (kBq to GBq range for tracers and therapy), nuclear physics, radiation safety (workplace contamination limits in Bq/cm²), environmental monitoring (Bq/L for water, Bq/kg for soil).
What radioactivity units are commonly confused?
**Bq vs Ci** — SI vs legacy; 1 Ci = 3.7 × 10¹⁰ Bq. **Activity (Bq) vs absorbed dose (Gy) vs equivalent dose (Sv)** — three different concepts using different units.
How do I handle very large or very small radioactivity values?
Use SI prefixes for clean scaling: kilo (10³), mega (10⁶), giga (10⁹), milli (10⁻³), micro (10⁻⁶), nano (10⁻⁹). For very large or very small results, the tool switches to exponent notation (e.g. 1.23e15) at 1e15 and above or below 1e-9. Bq = s⁻¹ (decays per second) is the SI definition. The curie was fixed at exactly 3.7 × 10¹⁰ decays/second in 1953 (ICRU) and adopted by the CIPM in 1964; 1975 is when the becquerel was adopted as the SI unit. For data interchange, copy the value; it is shown to 12 significant digits.
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