Linear energy transfer
Linear Energy Transfer (LET) is like how hard a toy hits you when it moves. When you play with toys, some are light and don't hurt much when they hit you, while others are heavy and can hurt a lot. The same thing happens with radiation.
Radiation is a kind of energy that can travel through space and damage things like our cells. It can come from sources like the sun, radioactive materials, or medical procedures like X-rays. When radiation hits our bodies, it can harm our cells and even cause cancer.
That's where LET comes in. It tells us how much energy radiation is transferring to our cells as it passes through. Just like how a heavy toy can hurt more than a light one, high-LET radiation can cause more damage to our cells than low-LET radiation.
Scientists can use LET to figure out how harmful different kinds of radiation can be. They measure it in units called keV/μm, which tell us how much energy the radiation is transferring per unit distance as it passes through our cells.
In summary, LET is like how hard a toy hits you when it moves, but for radiation. It tells us how much energy radiation is transferring to our cells as it passes through, and helps us understand how harmful different kinds of radiation can be.
Radiation is a kind of energy that can travel through space and damage things like our cells. It can come from sources like the sun, radioactive materials, or medical procedures like X-rays. When radiation hits our bodies, it can harm our cells and even cause cancer.
That's where LET comes in. It tells us how much energy radiation is transferring to our cells as it passes through. Just like how a heavy toy can hurt more than a light one, high-LET radiation can cause more damage to our cells than low-LET radiation.
Scientists can use LET to figure out how harmful different kinds of radiation can be. They measure it in units called keV/μm, which tell us how much energy the radiation is transferring per unit distance as it passes through our cells.
In summary, LET is like how hard a toy hits you when it moves, but for radiation. It tells us how much energy radiation is transferring to our cells as it passes through, and helps us understand how harmful different kinds of radiation can be.