Legal Definitions - dead time

Definition: Dead time refers to the period of time during which a system or device is not functioning or is unable to respond to input signals.

For example, in a Geiger counter used to detect radiation, there is a brief period of time after each detection during which the device is unable to detect any further radiation. This is known as dead time.

Another example is in a computer system, where dead time can occur when the system is busy processing a task and is unable to respond to user input until the task is complete.

These examples illustrate how dead time can impact the performance and accuracy of a system or device, and how it can affect the user's experience.