How is radiation exposure to a person calculated?

Radiation exposure to a person is calculated by integrating the dose rates over time. This method takes into account the varying dose rates that a person might receive during exposure, as radiation dose can fluctuate based on many factors, such as changes in distance from the source, type of radiation, and shielding.

Integrating dose rates provides a more accurate measure of cumulative exposure, allowing for the assessment of total dose received over a specified period. This cumulative approach ensures that all variations in exposure are accounted for, which is crucial for evaluating health risks associated with radiation exposure.

The other options would not yield an accurate measure of radiation exposure as they either misrepresent the relationships between dose, distance, and time or do not consider essential factors influencing the total dose a person receives. For example, averaging dose rates might overlook peaks in exposure, while summing dose rates over distance does not take into account time, which is a key factor in exposure assessment. Additionally, multiplying dose rates by body weight does not directly correlate with exposure; rather, it misrepresents how radiation interacts with the body.