Newton's Inverse Square Law -

Distance is an important factor when considering worker safety and ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) requirements. The Inverse Square Law shows an exponential increase in dose as you move closer to the source. It states:

Any point source which spreads its influence equally in all directions without a limit to its range will obey the inverse square law. This comes from strictly geometrical considerations. The intensity of the influence at any given radius (r) is the source strength divided by the area of the sphere. Being strictly geometric in its origin, the inverse square law applies to diverse phenomena. Point sources of gravitational force, electric field, light, sound, and radiation obey the inverse square law.

As one of the fields which obey the general inverse square law, a point radiation source can be characterized by the diagram above whether you are talking about Roentgens, rads, or rems. All measures of exposure will drop off by the inverse square law. For example, if the radiation exposure is 100 mR/hr at 1 inch from a source, the exposure will be 0.01 mR/hr at 100 inches.