Ionization chamber

Imagine you have a toy box and you want to know how many toys are inside without opening the lid. You take a big flashlight and shine it on the box, hoping to see the toys inside.

An ionization chamber works in a similar way to the flashlight. Instead of looking at the contents of a toy box, it helps us measure the amount of radiation in an area. Radiation is like energy that can be harmful if we're exposed to too much of it.

The ionization chamber has two metal plates inside it that are separated by a small gap. When radiation enters the chamber, it collides with atoms in the air and causes some of the atoms to lose an electron. This process is called ionization.

The free electrons that are released during ionization move towards the positively charged plate, creating an electric current. The amount of current produced depends on how much radiation there is in the area. By measuring the amount of current, we can determine how much radiation is present.

So, just like shining a flashlight on a toy box helps us see what's inside, an ionization chamber helps us "see" or measure the amount of radiation around us.