When following the Inverse Square Law, what happens to radiation intensity if the distance from a source is halved?

According to the Inverse Square Law, the intensity of radiation changes with the square of the distance from the source. Specifically, if the distance from the source is halved, the intensity of the radiation increases by a factor of four. This relationship is based on the principle that as the distance from the source decreases, the energy spread over a given area also becomes more concentrated.

When the distance is halved, you can visualize that the same amount of energy is now occupying a smaller area, leading to an increase in intensity. Mathematically, if the original distance is represented as 'd', then reducing 'd' to 'd/2' results in the intensity being proportional to (1/(d/2)^2), which simplifies to (4/d^2). Thus, the intensity quadruples when the distance is halved.

Understanding this principle is crucial for applications involving radiation, light sources, and other forms of energy propagation, as it underlines the importance of distance in determining how much energy reaches a particular point.