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X-rays are a type of electromagnetic radiation that can penetrate objects and create two-dimensional images of their insides. They are used in medical diagnostics, security screening, and industrial inspections. X-rays work by beaming hard X-rays through an object, with denser components absorbing more radiation, and the remaining radiation captured by an X-ray sensitive plate. Today, computed radiography is used instead of photographic plates, and x-rays can be used to examine both bones and soft tissue.
An X-ray is an image taken with X-ray technology that allows you to see the inside of an object. X-rays, also called X-rays or Roentgen radiation, are a type of electromagnetic radiation with a very short wavelength. The shortest wavelength radiation, hard X-rays, are powerful enough to penetrate objects, making them a useful tool for security screening, medical diagnostics, and looking inside crystals. An X-ray is a two-dimensional image of objects in shades of white on a black background.
An X-ray is produced by beaming hard X-rays through the subject, the insides of which absorb different amounts of radiation depending on the density of its components. In an X-ray image of the body, bones, which are dense, absorb more radiation than soft tissue, which is less dense. This absorption of radiation is called attenuation. Where more radiation is attenuated, less radiation is able to pass to the other side of the object. Where there is less attenuation, more X-rays are able to pass completely through the subject.
The radiation arriving on the other side of the subject is captured by an X-ray sensitive plate. At the point where it strikes the plate, the radiation excites electrons or negatively charged subatomic particles. In a photographic plate, the old way of viewing an X-ray, these exposed areas would darken, the less exposed areas would turn gray, and the unexposed areas would remain white. This is why a body x-ray shows white bones, gray soft tissue, and a black background.
Today, the photographic plate has been largely replaced by computed radiography, which uses photostimulable phosphor plates (PSP plates). In this process, radiation penetrates the subject, strikes the plate, and excites electrons in areas where the subject is less dense. This part of the procedure is similar to using a photographic plate, except that less radiation can be used. Less radiation is preferred, as large amounts of radiation can mutate cells in harmful ways. After the PSP plate has been exposed, the electrons are beamed with a laser and the signal is then run through a computer and translated into a digital image.
In medical settings, x-rays are typically used to examine bones, but a softer x-ray or one with a longer wavelength can be used to examine soft tissue. Radiography also includes fluoroscopy, an imaging technique that allows a lower resolution moving picture of the body to be obtained. It is used to examine moving tissue, such as blood flow, or to guide surgical procedures. X-ray technology also has many industrial uses, such as airport baggage scanning, viewing the inside of cargo crates, and inspecting the inside of products to ensure safety and quality.
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