Which statement about the earliest film badge is true?

• A. It was expensive and hard to process
• B. It was inexpensive, easy to handle, easy to process, accurate but could not be used more than once
• C. It could be reused indefinitely
• D. It was inaccurate but durable

Answer: (B)

Early film badges work by using photographic film that darkens in proportion to radiation exposure, providing a direct readout after development. This approach keeps things simple: the badge is inexpensive to produce, easy to handle, and easy to process in standard film development workflows, while still giving an accurate measure of dose. The main trade-off is that each badge is used for a single monitoring period; after development, it can’t be reused, so you need a new badge for the next period. That combination—low cost, straightforward handling and processing, accuracy, and single-use nature—best matches the statement.