Why does lead stop gamma rays?

1 Answer
Nam D.
Apr 8, 2018

High density

Explanation:

Lead has a high density of #11.34 \ "g/cm"^3#. This means that its atoms are packed closely together. A gamma ray is just a photon of light that carries energy, and when it hits our body, it transfers that energy to our #"DNA"#, which can cause it to become mutated, such as making unnecessary thymine-thymine bonds.

Lead atoms however have electrons which need a lot of energy to excite, and when there are a lot of them, it makes it hard for the gamma ray to pass through. Also, since there are a lot of them, they will absorb most of the gamma ray energy before it transfers to our body, thus weakening it immensely.

Source:

https://www.thenakedscientists.com/articles/questions/how-does-lead-absorb-radiation-x-rays-and-gamma-rays

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