X-rays are electromagnetic waves that can penetrate materials to varying degrees. Wilhelm Roentgen discovered x-rays in 1895 while experimenting with cathode rays. X-rays are produced when electrons hit a metal target in an x-ray tube and have wavelengths between 0.01 to 10 nanometers. X-rays are used in medicine to image bones and detect abnormalities, in security to screen luggage at airports, and in industry to inspect products for defects. They provide advantages as a cheap and convenient imaging method but have disadvantages of not strongly interacting with lighter elements.
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2. Table of Content
X- Ray
Properties of X-ray
History
Working
Application
Advantage and Disadvantage
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3. X-Ray
X-rays are the electromagnetic waves, they are more energetic so
they can penetrate many materials to varying degrees.
An X-ray machine is basically like a camera.
It uses X-rays to expose the film, instead of visible light.
When the X-rays hit the film or sheet, they expose it just as light
would. Since bone, fat, muscle, tumors and other masses all
absorb X-rays at different levels, the image on the film has
different (distinct) structures inside the body because of the
different levels of exposure on the film.
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4. Properties of X-Rays
X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers,
corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz
(301015 Hz to 301018 Hz) and energies in the range 100 eV to 100
keV.
X- Rays have relatively high penetrating power.
They are classified into Hard X-ray and Soft X- Ray:
X-ray which have high energy and shorter wavelength is known as
Hard X-ray.
X-ray which have low energy and longer wavelength is known as Soft
X-ray.
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5. History
X-ray technology was invented completely by accident. In
1895, a German physicist Wilhelm Roentgen made the
discovery while experimenting with electron beams in a gas
discharge tube.
Roentgen placed various objects between the tube and the
screen, and the screen still glowed.
Roentgen found that the X-ray would pass through the tissue
of humans leaving the bones and metals visible. One of
Roentgens first experiments late in 1895 was a film of his wife
Bertha's hand with a ring on her finger.
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7. Correct exposure is important to produce a reliable image on the film. Over-
or underexposure will result in loss of contrast and therefore possibly in loss of
diagnostic information.
body
film
X-Ray
source
Dark
Light
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8. Continue
Calcium in bones is considered a type of metal and when
photographic film is placed on the body, this allows the technician to
take the picture and an x-ray is developed to solve or analyze the
problem.
The soft tissue in your body is composed of smaller atoms, and so
does not absorb X-ray photons particularly well. The calcium atoms
that make up your bones are much larger, so they are better at
absorbing X-ray photons.
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9. Applications
Medicine:
Dentists use them to find complications, cavities and
impacted teeth. Soft body tissue are transparent to the
waves. Bones also block the rays.
Used to detect fractures and formation of stones in
human body.
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10. Industry:
X-rays are used in industry to inspect products
made by various kinds of materials.
To identify manufacturing defects in tyres, tennis
ball and also used to check defects in diamond
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11. Science:
used to analyze the arrangement of atoms in
many kinds of substances,
particularly crystals.
Used in analysis of crystal structure and structure
of complex organic molecule.
Security:
X-ray machines are used in airports to check
luggage.
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12. Advantage and disadvantage of X-
Ray
Advantage:
X-ray is the cheapest, the most convenient and widely used method.
X-ray are not absorbed very much by air, so the specimen need not be
in an evacuated chamber.
Disadvantage:
They do not interact very strongly with lighter elements.
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