Why can X-rays and gamma rays penetrate most matter, when other electromagnetic waves cannot?

Answer 1

When you add energy to matter it usually means a change in velocity or temperature, it speeds up or it gets hot.

When you talk about energy in an electromagnetic wave you have to understand that since they all travel at the speed of light, more energy means higher frequency.

All electromagnetic waves will penetrate matter to the depth where the energy within the wave is absorbed or converted into other less energetic frequencies (usu. heat/infrared).

Xrays and gamma rays will penetrate deeper than say UV, so the "burn" from Xrays or gamma rays will be whole body while the "burn" from UV will be skin deep, but all three forms of EMF will penetrate and transfer energy to the exposed matter. Just to different depths dependant on their frequencies and therefore their energies...

Answer 2

Wavelengths of X rays and Gamma rays are a lot shorter than electromagnetic wave wavelength.

Answer 3

X-rays and gamma rays have higher frequencies and more energy than other electromagnetic waves.

Answer 4

Gamma rays by employing themselves are no longer that devastating via fact they have a tendency to pass by way of issues particularly of impacting on the exterior. A centred beam will disrupt all living cells and ought to actual kill somebody. i think of that your spacecraft won't exchange very a lot yet each and all the existence and electronics on board would be stopped. risk is that the lifeless team won't rot a lot the two via fact each and all the micro organism on board may be lifeless too and is in simple terms no longer waiting to decay the bodies. so which you have a ghost deliver frozen in time particularly than a blown up deliver.

Answer 5

Those have much higher energies required to penetrate matter.
Of course neutrinos go through almost everything.