Educational HVL arithmetic

Radiation shielding calculator

Apply a user-supplied half-value layer to a requested intensity reduction. This page does not select an isotope, material, or design thickness.

HVL arithmetic

Enter positive finite values and calculate.

Worked example

With a user-entered 12.45 mm HVL, reducing 100 units to 1 unit is 6.64 half-value layers; the arithmetic result is 82.7 mm. It is not a material recommendation.

Limitations

Enter an HVL supplied by a qualified source for the actual radiation conditions and material. This arithmetic omits spectra, scatter, distance, workload, occupancy, use factors, buildup, penetrations, regulatory criteria and construction tolerances. A qualified health or medical physicist must confirm every design before construction.

Sources

Discuss radiation shielding requirements and physicist coordination · All tools