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 instantly
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 the result appears instantly. 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. Decimal precision is configurable; default shows 4-6 significant figures, appropriate for most use cases. For scientific work needing more precision, increase the decimal places in the settings.
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 exact internationally-defined factors where they exist — no rounding loss at the math level. Bq = s⁻¹ (decays per second) is the SI definition. Curie was redefined in 1975 from a radium reference to the exact value 3.7 × 10¹⁰ decays/second. Output precision is bounded by the displayed decimal places (configurable, typically 4-6 by default). For extreme precision needs (scientific publications), increase the displayed decimals to match your significant-figure requirements.
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. The conversion preserves precision to the displayed decimal places; choose precision to match your downstream use (engineering specs typically need 3-4 significant figures; scientific work may need more).
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 values beyond standard prefixes, the tool displays results in scientific notation (e.g. 1.23e+15) for readability. Bq = s⁻¹ (decays per second) is the SI definition. Curie was redefined in 1975 from a radium reference to the exact value 3.7 × 10¹⁰ decays/second. For data interchange to other tools, copy the raw value; for human readers, use the precision that matches the context.
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