Radioactivity Converter
Convert radioactivity units instantly between Becquerel (Bq), Curie (Ci), mCi, MBq, GBq, dpm, pCi, Rutherford, and more. Get a full all-units table with every conversion, plus real-world reference activities for nuclear medicine, radon, and radiation safety — free, private, and no signup required.
Select your source and target radioactivity units, enter a value, and click Convert. Supports Bq, kBq, MBq, GBq, TBq, Ci, mCi, µCi, nCi, pCi, dpm, dps, and Rd. All conversions run instantly in your browser — no signup required.
10⁶ Bq — nuclear medicine doses
Click any reference to load it as the input value.
Why Use Our Radioactivity Converter?
Instant Radioactivity Conversion
Convert between Bq, kBq, MBq, GBq, TBq, Ci, mCi, µCi, nCi, pCi, dpm, dps, and Rd in a single click. The radioactivity converter uses exact BIPM-defined conversion factors and processes everything in your browser with zero loading time.
Secure Radioactivity Converter Online
The radioactivity converter runs entirely client-side in your browser. Your input values are never sent to any server, stored, or tracked — complete privacy for nuclear medicine, radiation safety, and research calculations.
Radioactivity Converter — No Installation
Use the radioactivity converter directly in any modern browser with no downloads, apps, or plugins required. Swap units with one click, load real-world reference activities, and see a full all-units table — 100% free forever.
Full All-Units Table & Reference Activities
Every conversion shows a complete table of all 13 radioactivity unit equivalents at once. Six real-world reference activities — from household radon to nuclear medicine doses — are available as one-click presets for instant context.
Common Use Cases for Radioactivity Converter
Nuclear Medicine & Radiopharmacy
Convert between MBq and mCi when preparing or verifying radiopharmaceutical doses for PET scans, SPECT imaging, and thyroid therapy. The radioactivity converter handles the exact 1 mCi = 37 MBq relationship used daily in nuclear medicine departments worldwide.
Radiation Safety & Dosimetry
Radiation protection officers convert between Bq, Ci, and dpm when calculating contamination limits, release criteria, and dose assessments. Use the radioactivity converter to cross-reference regulatory limits expressed in different unit systems.
Environmental Monitoring & Radon Testing
Radon measurements in the US are reported in pCi/L while European standards use Bq/m³. The radioactivity converter lets you instantly translate radon activity levels between these systems for international comparison and regulatory compliance.
Research & Laboratory Science
Liquid scintillation counters report results in dpm (disintegrations per minute) while published literature often uses Bq or µCi. Convert radioactivity units instantly when comparing experimental results across instruments and publications.
Industrial Radiography & NDT
Non-destructive testing sources (Ir-192, Se-75, Co-60) are specified in Ci or TBq depending on the supplier and region. Use the radioactivity converter to verify source activity specifications and ensure compliance with transport regulations.
Education & Academic Reference
Physics and radiochemistry students frequently need to convert between the SI unit (Bq) and the traditional Curie system. The radioactivity converter provides instant, accurate conversions with clear unit descriptions for learning and coursework.
Understanding Radioactivity Unit Conversion
What is Radioactivity and Why Do Units Differ?
Radioactivity (or radioactive activity) measures the rate at which unstable atomic nuclei decay — the number of disintegrations occurring per unit of time. The SI unit is the Becquerel (Bq), defined as exactly one nuclear disintegration per second. Before the Becquerel was adopted by the BIPM in 1975, the Curie (Ci) was the dominant unit — defined as the activity of one gram of radium-226, equal to exactly 3.7 × 10¹⁰ disintegrations per second. The Curie remains widely used in the United States, particularly in nuclear medicine and radiation safety. Our radioactivity converter supports all major units including Bq, kBq, MBq, GBq, TBq, Ci, mCi, µCi, nCi, pCi, dpm, dps, and the obsolete Rutherford (Rd), using exact BIPM-defined conversion factors.
How Our Radioactivity Converter Works
- Select Your Units:Choose your source radioactivity unit from the “From” dropdown and your target unit from the “To” dropdown. Use the swap button (⇄) to instantly reverse the conversion. The radioactivity converter supports 13 units spanning from pCi (picocurie, 10⁻¹² Ci) to TBq (terabecquerel, 10¹² Bq).
- Enter Your Value: Type the activity value you want to convert. All conversions use the Becquerel as the canonical base unit — your input is first converted to Bq, then from Bq to the target unit, ensuring maximum precision. Click any reference activity button to load a real-world example (radon, smoke detector, PET scan dose, etc.).
- View Results Instantly: The radioactivity converter displays your primary result prominently, plus a complete all-units table showing equivalents in all 13 units simultaneously — all processed locally in your browser with no data sent to any server.
Key Radioactivity Unit Relationships
- 1 Curie (Ci) = 3.7 × 10¹⁰ Bq (exactly) = 37 GBq = 1,000 mCi = 1,000,000 µCi. This is the activity of 1 gram of radium-226 and is the fundamental Ci definition.
- 1 mCi (millicurie) = 37 MBq — the most common conversion in nuclear medicine, used daily for radiopharmaceutical dose preparation.
- 1 dpm (disintegration per minute) = 1/60 Bq ≈ 0.01667 Bq. Liquid scintillation counters report in dpm; multiply by 60 to get dps (= Bq).
- 1 Rutherford (Rd) = 10⁶ dps = 1 MBq. This unit is now obsolete and rarely encountered outside historical literature.
Important Notes on Radioactivity Measurement
Radioactivity (activity) measures the rate of decay, not the radiation dose received by a person. Activity in Bq or Ci must be combined with the type of radiation, energy, and geometry to calculate absorbed dose (Gray, Gy) or effective dose (Sievert, Sv). This radioactivity converterconverts between activity units only — it does not calculate dose or dose rate. For radiation protection purposes, always consult a qualified medical physicist or health physicist. Note that very large activities (GBq, TBq, Ci range) are associated with significant radiation hazards and require proper shielding and handling procedures.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Radioactivity Converter
A radioactivity converter converts radioactive activity values between different units — such as Becquerel (Bq), Curie (Ci), millicurie (mCi), megabecquerel (MBq), and disintegrations per minute (dpm). Our radioactivity converter supports 13 units, shows a complete all-units table for every conversion, and runs entirely in your browser with no signup required.
To convert MBq to mCi, divide the MBq value by 37. For example, 370 MBq = 370 ÷ 37 = 10 mCi. This is the most common conversion in nuclear medicine. In the radioactivity converter, select "MBq" as From and "mCi" as To, enter your value, and click Convert.
To convert Bq to Ci, divide by 3.7 × 10¹⁰ (37 billion). For example, 3.7 × 10¹⁰ Bq = 1 Ci. The Curie is a very large unit — most practical activities are expressed in mCi, µCi, or MBq. Use the radioactivity converter to handle any scale automatically.
Both Bq and Ci measure radioactive activity (disintegrations per second), but at very different scales. 1 Ci = 3.7 × 10¹⁰ Bq — the Curie is about 37 billion times larger than the Becquerel. The Becquerel is the SI unit adopted in 1975; the Curie is the older traditional unit still widely used in the US.
dpm stands for disintegrations per minute — the number of radioactive decays occurring each minute. Since the Becquerel is defined as one disintegration per second, 1 Bq = 60 dpm. Liquid scintillation counters commonly report results in dpm; divide by 60 to convert to Bq.
The Rutherford (Rd) is an obsolete radioactivity unit equal to 10⁶ disintegrations per second (1 MBq). It was proposed in 1946 as a practical unit between the Curie and the Becquerel, but was never widely adopted and is rarely encountered today outside historical literature.
Yes. The radioactivity converter runs 100% locally in your browser. Your input values are never sent to any server, stored in a database, or tracked in any way. Everything stays completely private on your device.
Yes — the radioactivity converter is 100% free with no signup, no account, and no usage limits. Convert radioactivity units as many times as you need, completely free forever. There are no ads, no premium tiers, and no data collection.
No — this radioactivity converter converts between activity units (Bq, Ci, dpm, etc.) only. Radioactive activity is not the same as radiation dose. To calculate absorbed dose (Gray) or effective dose (Sievert), you need additional information about the radiation type, energy, and geometry. Consult a qualified medical physicist or health physicist for dose calculations.