eli5 why does riding in an airplane cause radiation exposure? Does the airplane itself not block it?

Question

eli5 why does riding in an airplane cause radiation exposure? Does the airplane itself not block it?

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Answer 1

Basically, 10 km of air blocks radiation better than a few cm of aircraft hull. A square metre of air by 10 000 metres is going to weigh several tonnes but a square metre of aircraft hull will only be a few kilograms. Remember, a cubic metre of air at sea level weighs a kilogram.