Help Solving Physics Exam Question on Gamma Rays Counting Rate

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on calculating the error in the counting rate of gamma rays emitted by a radioactive source, specifically using the Poisson distribution. A detector recorded 10,000 counts in 20 seconds, leading to a counting rate of 500 counts per second. The error in this counting rate is determined to be approximately 22.4 counts per second, calculated as the square root of the counts per second.

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DM107
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Hi,

I came across a question in an exam which I couldn't really relate to any topic of physics, that I had studied.
It goes like this-

A detector is used to count the number of gamma rays emitted by a radioactive source. If the number of counts recorded in exactly 20 seconds is 10000, the error in the counting rate per second is?

Can someone please let me know what concept is involved so that I can try and solve it?
 
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What is the statistical distribution which describes the number of counts in 20 s?
 
No distribution was given with the question Dale.
 
The distribution for this kind of problem won't be given in the question itself. It is well known and would certainly have been covered extensively in the reading.

Which distributions were covered in the reading, and what do those distributions describe?
 
I got it Dale. Its poisson distribution.
and the error in counting rate per second will be sqroot(500) which is 22.4.

Thanks a lot!
 
Good job!
 
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