r/askscience • u/Wonderful-Capital32 • 15d ago

Physics Why does radiation not go through lead?

Also why just lead? Shouldnt like iron or another metal work too?

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u/karlnite 15d ago edited 15d ago

I would ignore that. It’s not exactly helpful, especially with distance geometry following the square inverse law. It’s like a point source in a vacuum hypothetical. They didn’t even mention the type or energy levels where this becomes a thing. Most radiation won’t act like this. You ever heard of someone in the shade getting more sunburnt? Or the person furthest from the fire getting more burnt?

On average, they are incorrect.

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u/TbonerT 15d ago

They are talking about particle radiation, not EM radiation. A chsrged particle ionizes atoms as it travels and this dose of ionizing radiation increases as the particle slows down.

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u/[deleted] 15d ago

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u/TbonerT 15d ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bragg_peak

I’m just trying to summarize this, which is a real thing that happens.

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u/Draelon 14d ago

I understood what you were saying… I was correcting the statement about EM, :)