Convert picogray [pGy] to rad [rd] Online | Free radiation-absorbed-dose Converter

Picogray (pGy)

A picogray (pGy) is a very small unit of measurement used in the field of radiation physics and dosimetry. It belongs to the International System of Units (SI) and is a submultiple of the gray (Gy), which is the standard unit for absorbed radiation dose. One gray represents the absorption of one joule of radiation energy per kilogram of matter. Since a picogray is one trillionth of a gray (10⁻¹² Gy), it is an extremely tiny measure, often used in contexts where radiation levels are very low, such as environmental background radiation or highly sensitive biological experiments. Scientists and health physicists use pGy to quantify extremely small exposures that would otherwise be impractical to express in whole grays or even milligrays. For example, natural background radiation received by living organisms may sometimes be expressed in picograys when considering minute variations across different environments. This unit is important because even very small amounts of radiation can be significant in specialized studies, especially in medicine, space research, and nuclear safety. The adoption of the picogray allows researchers to describe radiation doses with greater precision and ensures consistency in international scientific communication.

Rad [rd]: A Legacy Unit of Absorbed Radiation Dose

The rad (short for radiation absorbed dose) is a legacy unit used to measure the amount of ionizing radiation energy absorbed per unit mass of material. It was widely used before the adoption of the gray (Gy) in the International System of Units (SI).

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  1 rad = 0.01 gray (Gy)

  
  
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  This means that 1 rad corresponds to the absorption of 0.01 joules of radiation energy per kilogram of matter.

  
  

The rad was commonly used in medical, industrial, and scientific settings to quantify radiation doses. Although now largely replaced by the gray for consistency and international standardization, the rad is still sometimes referenced in older research, medical records, and certain fields.

The rad and its subunits (like the millirad) helped establish the groundwork for understanding radiation exposure and effects before the transition to the more precise and universally accepted gray unit.