X-ray Production

Who discovered x-rays?

Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen

Roentgen’s properties of x-rays (12)

invisible, electrically neutral, no mass, travel at speed of light in vacuum, can’t be focused by lens, forms a beam, produced at range of energies, travels in straight line, fluorescence in certain substances, chemical changes to radiographic or photographic film, absorbed or scattered by tissues in body, causes chemical and biological damage to living tissue

Anode

positively charged electrode

Cathode

negatively charged electrode

electrons travel from

anode to cathode

atom

consists of nucleus with protons, neutrons, and cloud of electrons

atomic number

number of protons in atoms nucleus

proton

positively charged particle, holds electrons in rings

electron

negatively charged particle, travels around nucleus

neutron

no charge

thermionic emission/excitation

heat boils off electrons, moving them to different orbit

electromagnetic energy

method of transporting energy through space, distinguished by wavelength, frequency and energy

xray beam

number of x-rays traveling together through space at a rapid speed

radiograph

visible photographic record on film produced by xrays passing through an object

matter

mass

energy

useable power ot heat, capacity to do work, no mass

matter can become

energy

energy can become

matter

energy and matter can neither be

created or destroyed

xrays are created by conversion of

matter into energy

forms of energy

chemical, nuclear, mechanical, thermal, electromagnetic, electrical

electromagnetic energy is used for

xrays

electrical energy is used to

power machine for xrays

x-rays are a form of

electromagnetic radiation but shorter wavelength

short wavelength allows xrays to

penetrate objects

visible light is either

reflected or absorbed

EM frequency is similar to waves with

crests and valleys

frequency

number of waves passing a given point per unit of time

high frequency =

short wavelength, more waves, more penetrating power

low frequency =

long wavelength, less waves, less penetrating power

KVP determines

frequency

frequency in turn determines

penetration power of radiation

time determines

how long radiation is created

darker radiograph =

overexposed

order of x-ray application

xray generator turned on, energy is applied to tungsten wire filament in cathode, electrons are excited and move to outer orbit, hit exposure switch and applies energy that sends loose electrons as bundles of energy from cathode to anode, collision of energy with anode produces radiation