What's the difference between a gamma ray and a radio wave?

Question

Why are gamma rays more dangerous to humans than radio waves?

Answer 1

Wavelength (also known as frequency).

Answer 2

Both are forms of electromagnetic radiation. The main difference is the energy levels. Radio waves have the lowest energy level of all electromagnetic waves, while gamma rays have the highest.

Gamma rays (and slightly lower energy X-rays) can penetrate objects (including the human body). Radio waves can also penetrate through some objects, but here is the difference:
Gamma rays have so much energy that they can knock electrons right off of atoms (this is called ionization). Radio waves cannot do that, no matter how 'powerful' they are -- they just don't have the energy to ionize atoms.

Ionized atoms can cause damage inside the human body by adverse chemical reactions because they want their electron back, so they'll steal it from some other atom or molecule, and then that molecule steals an electron from another molecule, and the cycle goes on and on. Sometimes a chemical bond is broken in the process of ionization or one molecule stealing another electron -- that creates new, sometimes toxic chemicals that are bad for you.

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Answer 3

Wavelength

radio waves are long, on the order of a meter

gamma rays are very short, sorter than X-rays, on the order of less than a nanometer

Answer 4

their wavelength sizes.

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/langley/images/content/114284main_EM_Spectrum500.jpg