The unit used for dose equivalents in these reports is rem. Which option correctly identifies the unit?

The unit used for dose equivalents in these reports is rem. Which option correctly identifies the unit?

• A. Sievert
• B. Rem
• C. Gray
• D. Becquerel

Answer: (B)

Dose equivalent reflects the biological effect of radiation, not just the energy deposited in tissue. In radiation protection, this quantity is reported in rem in many traditional documents, while the SI unit is the sievert. The two are equivalent in the sense that 1 sievert equals 100 rem, so rem and sievert measure the same concept with different units. The other options don’t match dose equivalent: gray is absorbed dose (energy per mass) and becquerel is radioactive activity (decays per second). Therefore, the unit used for dose equivalents in these reports is rem.

Dose equivalent reflects the biological effect of radiation, not just the energy deposited in tissue. In radiation protection, this quantity is reported in rem in many traditional documents, while the SI unit is the sievert. The two are equivalent in the sense that 1 sievert equals 100 rem, so rem and sievert measure the same concept with different units. The other options don’t match dose equivalent: gray is absorbed dose (energy per mass) and becquerel is radioactive activity (decays per second). Therefore, the unit used for dose equivalents in these reports is rem.