Editing Beta particle (section)

=== Detection and measurement ===
[[File:Beta radiation in a cloud chamber.jpg|thumb|300px|Beta radiation detected in an isopropanol [[cloud chamber]] (after insertion of an artificial source [[strontium-90]])]]
The ionizing or excitation effects of beta particles on matter are the fundamental processes by which radiometric detection instruments detect and measure beta radiation. The ionization of gas is used in [[ionization chamber|ion chambers]] and [[Geiger counter|Geiger–Müller counters]], and the excitation of [[scintillator]]s is used in [[scintillation counter]]s.
The following table shows radiation quantities in SI and non-SI units:
{{Radiation related quantities}}

* The [[gray (unit)|gray]] (Gy)  is the SI unit of [[absorbed dose]], which is the amount of radiation energy deposited in the irradiated material. For beta radiation this is numerically equal to the [[equivalent dose]] measured by the [[sievert]], which indicates the stochastic biological effect of low levels of radiation on human tissue. The radiation weighting conversion factor from absorbed dose to equivalent dose is 1 for beta, whereas alpha particles have a factor of 20, reflecting their greater ionising effect on tissue.
* The [[rad (unit)|rad]] is the deprecated [[CGS]] unit for absorbed dose and the [[Röntgen equivalent man|rem]] is the deprecated [[CGS]] unit of equivalent dose, used mainly in the USA.