Onion was used as a sensor in nuclear testing. Some chemicals present in onions change color when exposed to radiation from the explosion. Scientists used the same principle to use onions as natural sensors.
Suppose onion was used because it was cheap, easily available and not harmful to the environment. Furthermore, the chemical elements present in onions are very sensitive and can detect even very small amounts of radiation.
Onions were placed at various places around the test site. After the explosion, scientists collected these onions and studied the color change in them. From this study, scientists got information about the magnitude of the explosion and its effects.
Scientists also got many benefits from this. For example, the use of onions helped scientists measure the intensity of explosions very precisely. Furthermore, the onion was a cheap and readily available sensor, which significantly reduced the cost of testing.
Also, onion was not harmful to the environment, so its use did not cause any harm to the environment. This experiment was important because it helped scientists learn more about nuclear tests. The data obtained from this experiment was used in future nuclear tests and led to significant improvements in India's nuclear technology.