Electrons, Photons & Filters Review

These flashcards cover the essential vocabulary related to electrons, photons, and filters in radiography. They are designed to help students understand and explain the concepts, rather than just memorize facts.

mAs

A measure of the quantity of x-ray electrons produced.

KV (kilovoltage)

The measure of the quality or energy of the x-ray beam.

Electrons

Negatively charged particles that flow from cathode to anode in the x-ray tube.

X-ray Photons

High-energy packets of electromagnetic radiation produced in the x-ray tube.

Filter

Material used to absorb low-energy x-ray photons, improving image quality.

Thickness of Filter

Refers to how thick the filter is and its effect on x-ray beam quality.

Doubling mAs

Will double the number of electrons and x-ray photons produced.

Increasing mAs

Increases the number of x-ray photons produced.

Increasing KV

Increases the energy and speed of electrons moving in the x-ray tube.

Decreasing mAs

Decreases the number of x-ray photons produced.

Decreasing KV

Decreases the speed and number of electrons across the x-ray tube.

Speed of Electrons

Directly affected by changes in KV.

Average Energy of X-ray Beam

Can be affected by the thickness of the filter used.

Peak Energy of X-ray Beam

The maximum energy of the x-ray photons that can be produced.

Increase Filter Thickness

Reduces the number of x-ray photons that reach the patient.

Decrease Filter Thickness

Increases the number of x-ray photons that can exit the tube.