If the absorbed dose is doubled, what happens to the equivalent dose?

The equivalent dose is determined by the absorbed dose multiplied by a quality factor, which accounts for the type of radiation and its biological effect on tissue. If the absorbed dose is doubled, since the equivalent dose is directly proportional to the absorbed dose, it also doubles.

In mathematical terms, if you denote the absorbed dose as 'D' and the quality factor as 'Q', the equivalent dose (H) can be expressed as H = D × Q. When 'D' is increased to 2D, the new equivalent dose becomes H' = 2D × Q, which clearly shows that the equivalent dose is now twice the original value.

This direct relationship explains why when the absorbed dose is doubled, the equivalent dose also doubles, reflecting the increase in energy deposited in tissue and consequently the potential for biological damage.