X-rays

 X-rays

1. Introduction
While experimenting with a discharge tube at very low pressure,
Professor Wilhelm K. Rontgen, in 1896, noticed that the photographic plates
placed near the discharge tube were affected. He also observed that a
fluorescent screen which was covered by a thick black paper placed near the
discharge tube was glowing a n d that the shadows of objects
ke a bunch of keys placed between the discharge tube and a screen were cast
the screen. All of the new and very strange observational facts made
Rontgen to think that some strange radiations were coming from the discharge
tube which were responsible for the photographic effect, the fluorescent effect
and for producing the shadow of the objects. Initially, these radiations were
called Rontgen rays. Lata de rays revealed that these rays are
the electromagnetic waves are light whose wavelength ranges from 10-12
to 10 The electromagnetic waves of this range were called the X-ray

Now, over a hundred years of its discovery, the X-rays has proved
itself to be an indispensable diagnostic device for many medical treatments for
human like finding fractures in bones finding and locating position of
unevenly bodies, eg ones in human bodies etc. Its use has been widely
spread in diverse fields.
2. How Are X-rays Produced

The X-rays are produced by two distinct processes as follows
Process I: When the fast moving electrons strike a metal surface of high
atomic number like: Platinum, Tungsten, Molybdenum the energy of the
electrons may be sufficient enough to knock out some electrons from the inner
orbit of the atoms of the target metal and electrons vacancies are created in the
Inner orbit. The vacant space can nof remain empty for long time. So, to foi
the vacant spaces any electrons from higher orbit may jump into these spaces
Now, according to Bohr's postulate for atom model, when an electron jumps
Sm a higher orbit to lower orbit it emits radiation whose energy is equal to
the difference of energy levels of the two orbits. The radiations thus eimed
by heavy atoms are the X-rays which are the characteristics of the target
material
Process II: We know an accelerating charge particle absorbs energy from the
field (force) which accelerates it On the contrary, a decelerating (or retarding)
charge particle emits energy in the space in which it is moving The energy
emitted by a retarding charge particle comes in the form of radiation called
Bremsstrahlung or Barking radiation.

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