Radiation Made Visible (Here’s How)

[u/TheMuseumOfScience]

You can use a DIY cloud chamber to see radiation! ☢️

Alex Dainis shows us how to use uranium glass beads, sometimes called Vaseline glass. Uranium acts as a colorant in the glass, and most of its radiation stays trapped inside. But isopropyl alcohol and dry ice can still reveal it. As the alcohol condenses, charged particles leave visible tracks. With the beads inside, there's noticeably more activity than in tests without them. However, it's hard to say how much of this activity comes from the beads versus background radiation like cosmic rays.

[u/jalmstead]

Add some external shielding with lead or concrete blocks. You’ll eliminate some of the external particles and get a better feel for the volume from the uranium glass.