Background: One reason radiation is dangerous is that it can’t be detected with the senses. You normally can’t see it, smell it, hear it, or feel it. Fortunately, there are devices such as Geiger counters that can detect radiation. A Geiger counter, like the one in Figure below , has a tube that contains atoms of a gas. If radiation enters the tube, it turns gas atoms to ions that carry electric current. The current causes the Geiger counter to click. The faster the clicks occur, the higher the level of radiation.

Situation: Tom and Jacob are carrying Geiger counters through an old abandoned city near a nuclear plant. Tom walks into a hotel and looks around at all the paintings and old couches in the lobby. His Geiger counter remains silent, but as he walks up the stairs toward the second floor it starts to slowly but steadily make more sound. Jacob steps into a grocery store when his Geiger counter immediately starts making lots of noise, but his device starts to drop off in sound as he walks toward the freezer in the back of the store.

Question: Who is currently detecting more radiation?
Answer: Jacob

Situation: Tom and Jacob are carrying Geiger counters through an old abandoned city near a nuclear plant. Tom walks into a hotel and looks around at all the paintings and old couches in the lobby. His Geiger counter remains silent, but as he walks up the stairs toward the second floor it starts to slowly but steadily make more sound. Jacob steps into a grocery store when his Geiger counter immediately starts making lots of noise, but his device starts to drop off in sound as he walks toward the freezer in the back of the store.

Question: Who is currently detecting less radiation?
Answer: Tom

Situation: Tom and Jacob are carrying Geiger counters through an old abandoned city near a nuclear plant. Tom walks into a hotel and looks around at all the paintings and old couches in the lobby. His Geiger counter remains silent, but as he walks up the stairs toward the second floor it starts to slowly but steadily make more sound. Jacob steps into a grocery store when his Geiger counter immediately starts making lots of noise, but his device starts to drop off in sound as he walks toward the freezer in the back of the store.

Question: Is Tom detecting an increase or decrease in radiation in the direction he is walking?
Answer: increase

Situation: Tom and Jacob are carrying Geiger counters through an old abandoned city near a nuclear plant. Tom walks into a hotel and looks around at all the paintings and old couches in the lobby. His Geiger counter remains silent, but as he walks up the stairs toward the second floor it starts to slowly but steadily make more sound. Jacob steps into a grocery store when his Geiger counter immediately starts making lots of noise, but his device starts to drop off in sound as he walks toward the freezer in the back of the store.

Question: Is Jacob detecting an increase or decrease in radiation in the direction he is walking?
Answer: decrease

Situation: Tom and Jacob are carrying Geiger counters through an old abandoned city near a nuclear plant. Tom walks into a hotel and looks around at all the paintings and old couches in the lobby. His Geiger counter remains silent, but as he walks up the stairs toward the second floor it starts to slowly but steadily make more sound. Jacob steps into a grocery store when his Geiger counter immediately starts making lots of noise, but his device starts to drop off in sound as he walks toward the freezer in the back of the store.

Question: Which person's Geiger counter currently has a stronger electric current?
Answer: Jacob

Situation: Tom and Jacob are carrying Geiger counters through an old abandoned city near a nuclear plant. Tom walks into a hotel and looks around at all the paintings and old couches in the lobby. His Geiger counter remains silent, but as he walks up the stairs toward the second floor it starts to slowly but steadily make more sound. Jacob steps into a grocery store when his Geiger counter immediately starts making lots of noise, but his device starts to drop off in sound as he walks toward the freezer in the back of the store.

Question: Which person's Geiger counter currently has a weaker electric current?
Answer: Tom

Situation: Johnny has two old drums that used to carry nuclear in his garage. He is curious to know about any radiation that the drums are giving off so he purchases a Geiger counter and returns home. Upon returning home, he puts each drum in the opposite corner of his garage and then runs the Geiger counter over the barrel. Drum A causes Johnny's Geiger counter to make a slow but steady noise. When Johnny walks over to Drum B, his Geiger counter starts making rapid sounds. Johnny thinks maybe he should not have invested in these barrels.

Question: Which drum is giving off more radiation?
Answer: Drum B

Situation: Johnny has two old drums that used to carry nuclear in his garage. He is curious to know about any radiation that the drums are giving off so he purchases a Geiger counter and returns home. Upon returning home, he puts each drum in the opposite corner of his garage and then runs the Geiger counter over the barrel. Drum A causes Johnny's Geiger counter to make a slow but steady noise. When Johnny walks over to Drum B, his Geiger counter starts making rapid sounds. Johnny thinks maybe he should not have invested in these barrels.

Question: Which drum is giving off less radiation?
Answer: Drum A

Situation: Johnny has two old drums that used to carry nuclear in his garage. He is curious to know about any radiation that the drums are giving off so he purchases a Geiger counter and returns home. Upon returning home, he puts each drum in the opposite corner of his garage and then runs the Geiger counter over the barrel. Drum A causes Johnny's Geiger counter to make a slow but steady noise. When Johnny walks over to Drum B, his Geiger counter starts making rapid sounds. Johnny thinks maybe he should not have invested in these barrels.

Question: Which drum causes more atoms in the Geiger counter to turn into ions?
Answer: Drum B

Situation: Johnny has two old drums that used to carry nuclear in his garage. He is curious to know about any radiation that the drums are giving off so he purchases a Geiger counter and returns home. Upon returning home, he puts each drum in the opposite corner of his garage and then runs the Geiger counter over the barrel. Drum A causes Johnny's Geiger counter to make a slow but steady noise. When Johnny walks over to Drum B, his Geiger counter starts making rapid sounds. Johnny thinks maybe he should not have invested in these barrels.

Question: Which drum causes less atoms in the Geiger counter to turn into ions?
Answer: Drum A