X-Ray Discovery Quiz

X-rays were discovered, not developed, by accident in the late 19th century.
Investigations into cathode rays occurred in physics labs using Crookes tubes.
Sir William Crookes was an English chemist and physicist who invented the Crookes tube, a precursor to modern X-ray tubes.
Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen discovered X-rays on November 8, 1895, at Würzburg University, Germany.
Roentgen used black photographic paper to enclose the Crookes tube, leading to the observation that a nearby Barium Platinocyanide plate fluoresced despite no visible light escaping.
This effect, known as fluorescence, prompted Roentgen to investigate the unknown "X-light."
He discovered X-rays could penetrate various materials, demonstrating this by imaging the bones in his hand.
The first X-ray image of his wife's hand was taken, leading to the publication of his findings in "On a New Kind of Rays."

X-rays are highly penetrating, invisible electromagnetic radiation.
They are electrically neutral and unaffected by electric or magnetic fields.
X-rays can be produced across a wide range of energies and wavelengths.
They release minimal heat upon passing through matter and travel in straight lines at the speed of light (3 x 10^8 m/s in a vacuum).
X-rays can ionize matter, cause fluorescence, and affect photographic film, producing secondary and scatter radiation.

Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen (1845-1923): Discovered X-rays and received the first Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901.
Anna Bertha Ludwig (1839-1919): Roentgen's wife, the first person to have an X-ray taken of her hand on December 22, 1895.
William Crookes (1832-1919): Invented the Crookes tube in 1875, contributing to the study of vacuum tubes.
Michael Pupin (1854-1935): Introduced the use of radiographic intensifying screens in 1896; recognition came later.
Charles Leonard (1822-1918): Advanced radiography by reducing exposure time through double-emulsion techniques.

Physics: The study of the nature, properties, and interactions of matter and energy.
Matter: Anything that occupies space and has mass.
Mass: Quantity of matter measured in kilograms (kg).
Weight: The force acting on an object's mass, expressed in pounds (lb) and calculated using Wt = MG.
Physical States of Matter: Solid, liquid, gas, plasma, Bose-Einstein condensate.

Energy is the ability to do work and is classified as potential or kinetic.
Units of energy include joules, electron-volts, calories, and ergs.
Common forms of energy include mechanical, chemical, electrical, thermal, nuclear, and electromagnetic energy.

Kinetic Energy: Energy associated with motion, observable in moving objects and particles.
Potential Energy: Stored energy based on position, such as a compressed spring or elevated object.

Types of electromagnetic radiation include radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet radiation, X-ray radiation, and gamma radiation.
X-rays are used in medical imaging to penetrate and visualize the internal structures of the body.
Gamma rays are produced in nuclear reactions and can be used for cancer treatment.

Forces cause changes in an object's velocity and can influence motion.
Types of fields include scalar, vector, and tensor fields, with common forces being gravitational, weak nuclear, electromagnetic, and strong nuclear.

Gravitational Force: An invisible attraction between objects, varying with mass.
Weak Nuclear Force: Facilitates the conversion between protons and neutrons in beta decay.
Electrostatic Force: The force of attraction or repulsion between charged particles.