How is the radiation weighing factor defined?

The radiation weighing factor is a key concept in understanding how different types of ionizing radiation affect biological tissues. It is defined as the ratio of the equivalent dose to the absorbed dose.

The equivalent dose takes into account the type of radiation and its biological effects, while the absorbed dose simply measures the amount of energy deposited by radiation in a material, such as human tissue. By calculating the ratio of these two quantities, the radiation weighing factor provides a way to express the potential harm that various types of radiation can cause, allowing for more accurate assessments of risk.

This distinction is important in fields like medicine and radiation protection, where knowing the effective dose from different radiation types is crucial for safety and treatment planning. In contrast, the other options refer to different concepts that do not align with the definition of the radiation weighing factor, which is specifically about the relationship between equivalent dose and absorbed dose.