Production and Use of X-rays problem 3

There is a continuous distribution of wavelengths because electromagnetic radiation is produced whenever a charged particle is accelerated. Thus, in X-rays, the accelerated electrons can lose different amounts of energy when they hit the metal target, emitting photons of different energies (or wavelengths).

A sharp cut-off at short wavelength is the minimum wavelength of X-ray produced when an electron loses all of its kinetic energy in a single interaction, and this energy is converted to the energy of one photon which is the maximum energy an X-ray photon can have.

The hardness of an X-ray beam measures the penetration of the beam; the greater the hardness of an X-ray beam, the greater its penetration.

Hardness is controlled by changing the anode voltage; the higher the anode voltage, the greater the hardness.

Long-wavelength X-ray radiation poses a greater hazard to health than short-wavelength X-rays because long-wavelength X-rays are more likely to be absorbed by body tissues rather than passing through to form the image.

The hazard can be minimized by placing a metal foil in the X-ray beam.