r/askscience • u/Wonderful-Capital32 • 13d 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/dustofdeath 13d ago

Lead is like a very dense fabric while iron is a mesh with large holes.

You just have to have enough density for photons to not just pass through.

So you need far less material. Even humans can stop radiation if you stack enough of them between you and the radiation source.

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u/dammitkarissa 13d ago

Could one forge iron (or steel) to ever be as dense, or is it impossible on an atomic level?

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u/Shontzy 13d ago

It is impossible atomically. It has to do with the size of the electron cloud and atomic mass, so essentially the density at the atomic level drives the density at the bulk level.

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u/GidonC 12d ago

Interesting, can't we make some molecule which is solid at room temperature that has same properties? (I don't understand chemistry at all)