Becquerel (Bq)
The becquerel (Bq) is the SI unit of radioactivity: one nucleus decaying each second. A banana contains about 15 Bq of potassium-40; a human body about 8000 Bq.
Symbol: Bq
Quantity: activity of a radioactive source
SI relation: Bq is the coherent SI unit of radioactivity.
Derivation: 1 Bq = 1 decay per second (s⁻¹).
Exact: yes, by definition
Typical uses
- Food and environmental radioactivity limits
- Nuclear medicine doses (MBq)
- Radon concentration (Bq/m³)
Convert becquerels to other units
| Conversion | 1 Bq equals | Reverse |
|---|---|---|
| becquerel to curie | 2.702702703 × 10⁻¹¹ Ci | curie to becquerel |
| becquerel to megabecquerel | 0.000001 MBq | megabecquerel to becquerel |
| becquerel to millicurie | 2.702702703 × 10⁻⁸ mCi | millicurie to becquerel |
| becquerel to picocurie | 27.02702703 pCi | picocurie to becquerel |
| becquerel to kilobecquerel | 0.001 kBq | kilobecquerel to becquerel |
| becquerel to gigabecquerel | 1 × 10⁻⁹ GBq | gigabecquerel to becquerel |
| becquerel to microcurie | 0.00002702702703 µCi | microcurie to becquerel |
| becquerel to disintegration per minute | 60 dpm | disintegration per minute to becquerel |
| becquerel to terabecquerel | 1 × 10⁻¹² TBq | terabecquerel to becquerel |
| becquerel to nanocurie | 0.02702702703 nCi | nanocurie to becquerel |
| becquerel to rutherford | 0.000001 Rd | rutherford to becquerel |
Open the Radioactivity Converter to convert any value between all units.
Sources
- The International System of Units (SI), 9th edition (SI Brochure), Bureau International des Poids et Mesures , Table 4 (becquerel, gray, sievert, lux) and Table 2 (candela).
Last reviewed: . Factors are stored exactly and computed with 50-digit decimal arithmetic. See how we verify conversion factors.
Cite this page
APA
Scientific Converters. (2026, October 15). Becquerel (Bq). Retrieved October 25, 2026, from https://scientificconverters.com/units/becquerel/
IEEE
Scientific Converters, "Becquerel (Bq)," scientificconverters.com. Accessed: Oct. 25, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://scientificconverters.com/units/becquerel/