radiography + x-ray

what is a radiograph

it is a shadow of anatomy created using x-rays

compared to the visual color spectrum how would you define x-rays based on wavelength and frequency

it has a shorter wavelength and higher frequency than visual color

what are the two most important parts of the x-ray tube

• cathode

• anode

what are the technique settings on a x ray control panel

• mAs

• kVp

what does having a higher mAs mean

more photons

what does having a high kVp mean

higher energy photons

what are the two types of x-ray productions

• general radiation

• characteristic radiation

how are x-ray photons formed in general radiation

as the cathode shoot electrons at the anode the electrons pass through an atom and as it gets closer to the nucleus it bends and slows down. as it slows down the energy it lost is released as an x-ray photon

how are x-ray photons formed in characteristic radiation

the electrons from the cathode kick an electron from the atom out and another one needs to drop in to fill the void releasing x-ray photons while it does

what 2 things could you do to shape the x ray beam and reduce scatter before it passes through the patient

• filtration

• collimation

what do x-ray images depend on

• x-ray energy

• tissue thickness

• physical density

• atomic number

what 3 things can happen as x-ray photon passes through the patient

• nothing

• photoelectric effect

• Compton effect

you attempt to image a bulldog but after using the matching the pictures come out all staticky what is this effect called

the Compton effect

what does the photoelectric effect depend on what ratio

atomic number over the energy of the photon

would the Compton effect most likely happen at high kVp or low kVp

high kVp