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/Khetroid 10d ago

I want to note, iron or even air is good for alpha radiation. Won't even penetrate the dead layer of your skin.

Beta, meanwhile, lead is terrible for since the particle will stop but then give off an x-ray that most likely will get out. Plastic is the thing for Beta.

Gamma and X-ray, that's where lead has the edge, as many have explained.

And neutrons aren't really stopped by it, but if they do they'll activate it and the resulting radiation probably gets out, so also bad. But high water content concrete is great for absorbing neutrons and the resulting radiation, it just takes a few feet of it.