What Makes Iron Effective at Blocking Radiation Compared to Lead?

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Iron is less effective than lead for blocking and absorbing radiation due to its higher radiation length, making lead superior in density and mass. Specifically, lead has a radiation length of 6.37 g cm-2, while iron's is 13.84 g cm-2, indicating lead's greater efficiency against high photon energies, particularly over 100 keV. For low-energy photons, the effectiveness of both materials varies based on the specific energy levels involved. Overall, lead is the preferred choice for radiation shielding, especially for X-rays and gamma radiation. Understanding these differences is crucial for selecting appropriate materials for radiation protection.
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Does anyone know how Iron compares to lead as a medium to block / absorb radiation? Do you know what wavelengths or spectrum iron is most effective against?
 
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Photon radiation? In other words, X-rays and gamma radiation?
Lead is better per mass, and has a higher density in addition (so it is much better per length).
For high photon energies (>100keV), the radiation length is the relevant quantity. You can find numbers at the particle data group.

Iron: Radiation length 13.84 g -2 or 1.757 cm
Lead: Radiation length 6.37 g cm-2 or 0.5612 cm

For low-energy photons, it depends on the energy.
 

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