MovieChat Forums > Godzilla (2014) Discussion > Radiation suits?

Radiation suits?

posted 8 years ago by Alex_RM7
10 replies | jump to latest

When the Father and the Son are visiting the old house on the allegedly highly radioactive island, they wear suits and gas masks.

The Father clearly states that the radiation there should be lethal, and yet they went in with no protection at all?

There is no suit that can save you from radiation. Gamma rays go through everything, unless you wear some 1 meter tick lead-suit around you, but then you would be unable to move.

I just don't understand this. They went in thinking the radiation level is lethal with some rain coats on them? Like what the *beep*

[–] TxMike 8 years ago

It has been a while since I saw that particular scene, so I am a bit hazy, but I thought they wanted to protect themselves from coming into contact with radioactive material, not that the ambient gamma ray level was lethal. Even material giving off low-level radiation can be harmful if you ingest it or absorb it through your skin.

But didn't the whole "radioactive danger" issue turn out to be a ruse by the Japanese authorities just to keep people out? That the area wasn't really highly radioactive?

Gojira

[–] Alex_RM7 8 years ago

Yes, there was no radiation at all, but they went in thinking the radiation level is lethal with only rain coats that stops zero gamma rays and gas/raspiration masks

[–] CGSailor 8 years ago

Read TxMike's first paragraph AGAIN.

Gamma is only one kind of radiation and it is only from a few sources, Gama radiation is not something that hangs around in a radioactive area, it comes from a source like a nuclear detonation, Not contaminating an area.

When one speak of a contaminated area, they are referring to Alpha and Beta Radiation.
And yes... those suits WILL protect against that.

It is your own ignorance leading you to a wrong conclusion.

To be more specific... there are two groupings of Ionizing radiation.
Photon radiation, and Particle radiation.

Alpha and Beta are particle radiation. They consist of either Helium-4 nuclei or free electrons knocked from other atoms.
Most radiation in a radiation contaminated area is going to be of the particle type.

Gamma radiation on the other hand is a type of photon radiation.
It is a part of the electromagnetic spectrum which also includes among other things, visible light, Radio waves, Infrared radiation (heat), X-rays, and more.

When you shine a flashlight, you emit visible light.
When you turn off the flashlight, you stop emitting light.
Light does not keep contaminating the area you shown your flashlight on after you stop doing so. Light only exists as you are emitting it.

Gamma radiation is the same. Turn on a Gamma source and it floods the area with Gamma rays.
Turn off the source and vióla.. no more gamma rays. This is why Gamma does not "contaminate" an area.

Alpha and Beta are easily stopped by the radiation Suits.
Gamma radiation would not, but then they are not being exposed to Gamma radiation.

YOUR reasoning is unsound.

I joined the Navy to see the world, only to discover the world is 2/3 water!

[–] TxMike 8 years ago

Good explanation 'GCS'. Some of us actually studied Nuclear Physics and Nuclear Chemistry!

..*.. TxMike ..*..

[–] CGSailor 8 years ago

I've had dealings with AlexRM7 on other boards.

He sometimes will take it in stride when he is corrected on something that is his error, other times he gets pissy.

But he is almost ALWAYS wrong in regards to things Military or Scientific. Always coming to wrong conclusions nearly every single time.

He'll read about something just enough that he thinks he knows what he is talking about, but in reality knows just enough to come to incorrect conclusions.
Dunning-Kruger at it's finest. LOL

I joined the Navy to see the world, only to discover the world is 2/3 water!

[–] Alex_RM7 8 years ago

I know Alpha and Beta can be stopped with the suits, I'm not ignorant of that. I based my conclusion thinking there were gamma rays, which you say they were not.

[–] CGSailor 8 years ago

But you are ignorant on the nature of gamma rays.

Gamma Radiation is not some sort of gas, mist, or toxic fume that can contaminate an area.

It's nature is the same as Visible light, just far far more energetic, energetic enough to strip electrons off of atoms, thus it is "Ionizing" radiation.

If you throw a flashbang in a room, does light continue to "contaminate" the room after the flash has gone off?

I joined the Navy to see the world, only to discover the world is 2/3 water!

[–] Alex_RM7 8 years ago

Well, no. I understand now. Thanks.

[–] Alex_RM7 8 years ago

One other thing. I was just reading about Nuclear fallout and as you said, gamma rays come from a source like a Nuclear detonation, which means that in the fallout radiation will be gamma rays, obviously.

So my question is, how long would this source (Nuclear detonation) keep emitting gamma rays after the detonation? Let's say a B83 thermonuclear, 1.2 megatonnes, air burst.

[–] wPatriot 8 years ago

One other thing. I was just reading about Nuclear fallout and as you said, gamma rays come from a source like a Nuclear detonation, which means that in the fallout radiation will be gamma rays, obviously.

Well, no, not really. Most of the gamma radation comes from the fission and fusion reactions that occur when the nuclear detonation occurs. A relatively small amount comes from decaying fission products, but those are very short lived (think seconds).

So as to answer your question: A few seconds.