Is my tuba becoming radioactive???

[Chuck(G)]

Nope--the X-rays generated aren't energetic enough.

See, for example:

http://www.saic.com/products/security/r ... s-faq.html

X-rays do their dirty work to biological tissue while the source is active.

[windshieldbug]

Probably. Post these signs around the dock.

And it might help to get a new mouthpiece. Something you can rinse off. With ale.

[DonShirer]

No. X-rays can ionize some atoms (i.e. knock off a few electrons), but are not strong enough to break up the atomic nucleus and produce radioactive isotopes.

[LoyalTubist]

Yes. Your tuba is radioactive. Provided your tuba is in otherwise good shape, you can send me a private message and I will help get it off your hands.

[prototypedenNIS]

If it was getting radioactive, I would advise you to get a glow in the dark Kelly mouthpiece...

Radioactivity from Xrays isn't that high... I wouldn't worry about it. Though Xraying a tuba is how they found the PDQ Bach piece "The Only Piece Ever Written for Violin and Tuba" and its' subsequent revision.

[ken k]

I thought the metal of the tuba would block the x-rays so they wouldn't be able to see inside the tuba anyway. Obviously I am wrong. But I always figured when they scanned luggage the metal items in the bags, ie guns, knives, toe clippers,etc would show up because the metal item would block the x-rays. So how is it they can see inside the metal tuba?

ken k

[LoyalTubist]

You are right... When I was in the Army Band and we had to play for the President, we had to take our instruments apart to show we weren't hiding anyhing (I didn't play in a DC band)

[LoyalTubist]

He ain't radio active! They took him off commercial radio!

[LoyalTubist]

and...

[windshieldbug]

I'm in LOVE!

Must be those voices again...

[windshieldbug]

And they're screaming,"There's Mrs. Right!"

OK, but be careful out there!

<img src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/07434 ... ZZZZZZ.jpg" width=200>

[windshieldbug]

Your radioactivity exposure risks are much higher due to airplane flights and medical xrays then due to your tuba.

... but just to be sure, wear lead shielding at all times when you're playing!

[Joe Baker]

A very simplified way of looking at x-rays would be to think of the x-ray machine as a machine gun, with the x-rays themselves as the bullets. The softer something is, the more likely it is that the xray "bullet" will pass through; the harder it is, the more likely it will be reflected or absorbed. Stick your hand in the x-ray machine and the "machine gun" may damage some of the cells by shooting bullets through them. But once the machine gun quits shooting, the bullets quit flying. Your hand may be slightly damaged by the machine gun, but it doesn't BECOME a machine gun. Similarly, your tuba will not become radioactive as a result of being struck by x-ray "bullets"; and although x-rays can cause damage to extremely soft and delicate or volatile things like DNA or photographic film, it poses no threat to a metal tuba.

This same thing is true of irradiated meat, btw. People are afraid of it because they mistakenly think it becomes radioactive. Radiation is allowed to pass THROUGH the meat, killing microorganism. It may damage a few of the meat's (billions of) cells, though only a tiny fraction as much as you will when you cook it. The meat doesn't become radioactive, because no decaying radioactive isotope is put into the meat; it only placed NEAR the meat, so that the radiation can pass through it.
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Joe Baker