How do x?

Answer 1

X-rays are high energy (high frequency) electromagnetic radiation. These X-rays were found to be able to penetrate different materials, and the less dense the material, the greater the penetration. (More dense materials are better at X-ray absorption.) High voltage generates a beam of high energy electrons that crashes into a metal target and X-rays are produced. There may be a filter near the X-ray source that preferentially blocks lower energy rays, and some machines have a collimator to narrow the beam. After passing through the patient, the X-rays pass through a grid placed on top of a sheet of photosensitive film. The grid reduces X-ray scattering and the photosensitive materials in the film chemically react to those X-rays. When the film is developed, we see images that result from the varying amounts of X-ray energy absorbed by different tissue types. For instance, the skeletal structure contains large amounts of calcium, which absorbs X-rays better than soft tissue. Using the developed film, treatment staff can assess the medical issues shown in the image. For instance, a fractured or broken bone will be readily apparent to a radiologist.

While X-rays are harmful to biological materials, their careful use as a diagnostic tool has been and continues to be a front-line impliment of medical technology. The benefits greatly outweigh the costs with proper management of the X-ray machine.