X-ray Production and Kinetic Energy CH7

The energy possessed by moving electrons in an x-ray tube.

Kilovolts peak; a measure of the electron's maximum kinetic energy.

The part of the x-ray tube where the electrons are stopped, producing x-rays.

X-rays produced when electrons are decelerated.

X-rays emitted when an electron knocks an inner-shell electron out of the target atom.

How electrons strike the target and trigger the production of x-rays.

The level of x-rays produced, measured as a quantity.

Energy of x-rays produced, measured as an average energy.

Electrons are accelerated to high speeds in x-ray tubes.

The flow of electrons from the cathode to the anode in an x-ray tube.

Electrons transfer their energy to target atoms when they hit them.

Most electron energy converts to heat due to interactions with the target.

Only a small percentage (around 1%) of electron energy creates x-rays; the rest is lost as heat.

Heat produced in the anode increases directly with x-ray tube current.

Heat produced in the anode increases with kVp (voltage).

X-ray imaging systems are not very efficient because most electron energy is lost as heat.

The energy required to remove an electron from its shell within an atom. Different for each shell.

The average energy of X-rays in a beam, considered useful for practical purposes in radiology.

X-rays produced when projectile electrons are decelerated by the electric field of the target atom's nucleus.

The electric field surrounding the nucleus of an atom, created by the positive protons.

An electron accelerated from the cathode in an x-ray tube that interacts with the target atoms.

The attraction between negatively charged electrons and positively charged nuclei.

When an electron from the cathode knocks out an inner-shell electron from the target atom, an outer-shell electron fills the vacancy, releasing energy in the form of an X-ray.

The energy of a Characteristic X-ray is determined by the difference in binding energies between the initial and final electron shells involved in the transition.

Characteristic X-rays produced when an electron transitions to the K-shell after an inner-shell electron is removed.

Characteristic X-rays produced when an electron transitions to the L-shell, weaker than K-shell X-rays.

The energy of a Characteristic X-ray is dependent on the difference in binding energies of the electrons involved in the transition. The larger the energy difference, the higher the energy of the X-ray.

Different types of Characteristic X-rays can be produced depending on the shell from which the electron transitions (e.g., K-shell, L-shell, M-shell, etc.).

Tungsten, a common target material, has electrons in multiple shells, allowing for the production of various Characteristic X-rays during ionization.

The energy an electron possesses due to its motion, influenced by its velocity and mass. Higher kVp = Higher Kinetic Energy.

The flow of electrons from the cathode to the anode in the x-ray tube. Measured in milliamperes (mA).

X-ray production is inefficient. Most of the electron's energy is converted into heat due to interactions with the target atoms.

Characteristic x-rays occur when an electron knocks out an inner-shell electron from the target atom, leading to an electron from an outer shell filling the void and releasing energy as an x-ray.

K-shell x-rays are more powerful due to greater energy released when an electron fills the K-shell. L-shell x-rays are weaker.

Tungsten's multiple electron shells allow for a variety of characteristic x-rays. It's a common target material for x-ray tubes.

Characteristic x-rays are named based on the shell the electron transitions to (e.g., K-shell, L-shell, etc.).

The energy of a characteristic x-ray is determined by the difference in binding energies between the initial and final electron shells involved in the transition. The larger the energy difference, the higher the energy of the x-ray.

When an electron from the cathode knocks out an inner-shell electron from the target atom, an outer-shell electron fills the vacancy, releasing energy in the form of an X-ray. This energy release is specific to the difference in binding energies between the initial and final electron shells involved in the transition.

Different types of Characteristic X-rays can be produced depending on the shell from which the electron transitions (e.g., K-shell, L-shell, M-shell, etc.). The energy level of the electron transitions, and thus the energy of the resulting X-ray, is dependent on the binding energy of the shells involved.

L x-rays, with approximately 12 keV of energy, penetrate only a few centimeters into soft tissue. They are too low-energy to be useful for medical imaging.

The effective energy of characteristic x-rays increases as the atomic number of the target element increases.

The positively charged nucleus of the target atom exerts an electric field that pulls on the negatively charged projectile electron, causing it to lose kinetic energy and emit an x-ray.

The heat generated at the anode increases directly with the x-ray tube current.

When electrons interact with the outer-shell electrons of the target atoms, they are excited to a higher energy level and then immediately drop back down, releasing infrared radiation (heat).

The energy of the x-rays produced is determined by the energy of the electrons hitting the target and the type of interaction occurring.