Radiation (Absorbed Dose) Converter

About This Tool

This converter is a tool for health physics, medical physics, and radiation safety, dealing with units of absorbed dose. Absorbed dose quantifies the amount of energy deposited by ionizing radiation in a unit mass of matter. The base unit is the gray (Gy).

Understanding absorbed dose is critical for assessing the potential biological effects of radiation. This tool helps professionals convert between the modern SI unit (gray) and the older, traditional unit (rad).

Tips & Features

• The Gray (Gy): The gray is the SI unit for absorbed dose, representing the absorption of one joule of radiation energy per kilogram of matter.
• The Rad: The rad (radiation absorbed dose) is the older CGS unit. One gray is equal to 100 rads. The centigray (cGy) is a commonly used unit in radiation therapy because 1 cGy is exactly equal to 1 rad.
• Absorbed Dose vs. Equivalent Dose: Absorbed dose (grays) is a physical quantity. It is different from the 'equivalent dose' (sieverts), which is a calculated biological quantity that accounts for the varying degrees of harm caused by different types of radiation.