The Standard Error of Counting Rates

In practice, the number of counts is usually recorded in a scaler, but what is reported is the counting rate, i.e., counts recorded per unit time. The following symbols and definitions will be used for counting rates. 

G = number of counts recorded by the scaler in time with the sample present = gross count 

The standard error of the net counting rate can be calculated based on Eq. 2.84 and by realizing that r is a function of four independent variables G, Iq, B, and t  

The electronic equipment available today is such that the error in the measurement of time is, in almost all practical cases, much smaller than the error in 

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