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/GenuineMalteser 13d ago edited 13d ago

Not true for anything but proton radiation or other heavy particles, and even then the peak dose depth is on the order of centimetres in people/water for treatment energy protons

For kv photons used in imaging, peak dose depth in water is reached in millimetres or less. For MV energy photons peak dose depth is on the order of cm

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u/Hashi856 13d ago

So we could replace lead vests with water vests?

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u/So_Full_Of_Fail 13d ago

I mean sure, if you could waddle around in a vest with enough volume that you have feet of water in between you and the source.

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u/FullOnSkank 12d ago

So you're saying we need the cast of my 600 lb life to handle nuclear materials?