• Question: how do xrays work?

    Asked by alexlovesarianne to Charlotte, Dhvanil, Frank, Jim, Leila on 12 Mar 2013.
    • Photo: Leila Nichol

      Leila Nichol answered on 12 Mar 2013:

      If you mean the kind of X-ray you would get if you have a broken bone:

      There is an X-ray tube which is a vacuum and electrons are accelerated across the tube until they hit the X-ray target (high density metal). The energy is in the region of 10s-100s of kilovolts, and in this region, the particle interaction type “photoelectric effect” dominates which means that the X-rays are absorbed mostly by bone. So where the X-rays are not absorbed by bone they pass through to a film or detector on the other side, and where the X-rays have been absorbed by bone will appear white. It’s very clever.

      (Aside – for radiotherapy we are using X-rays in the region of MEGAvolts where the particle interactions are not the same and bone doesn’t affect treatment)

    • Photo: Dhvanil Karia

      Dhvanil Karia answered on 12 Mar 2013:

      Leila has explained it very nicely

      For a more visual understanding check this link out

    • Photo: Jim O Doherty

      Jim O Doherty answered on 13 Mar 2013:

      Theres also a really good explanation showing how the process itself works here:

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