How do the x-rays work?

The invention and application of x-rays is useful for the sciences, especially in the field of medicine. This is due to that it enables the observation of the bone structure, the study the bones of the human body and among other things, the detection and understanding of many diseases.

Now, do you know about x-ray really? Have you ever wondered how it works? Then join here to know the answers to these questions and learn more about the operation of the x-ray.

What are x-rays and how were discovered?

X-rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation, which can have a wavelength of between 10 and 0,001 nanometers, being shorter than ultraviolet light. The letter “X” comes from its discovery, when it were still an unknown form of radiation, and therefore it was awarded the code “X” in its nominalization, thus indicating that were still unknown.

The German physics professor Wilhelm Rontgen discovered X rays in 1895. His initial experiment involved a tube that emitted light, also known as the Crookes tube. Rontgen noticed a fluorescent screen near the tube was shining, although the pipe was isolated with cardboard. As there is not any kind of light passing to make the screen glows, other types of unknown radiation should be responsible for.

The Professor noticed that Ray was also passing through other materials, including human flesh. In fact, by the discovery of the x-radiation, Rontgen also discovered its best application until our days: the optical representation. The first image of x-ray of the history is the hand of the wife of Rontgen and today there is a branch or medical specialty dedicated to applications and development of x rays Radiology. If you want to know more about x rays Radiology or x-ray analysis you can check http://www.x-raywizards.com/.

Functioning of the x-rays

X-rays are very similar to the rays of light that can perceive our eyes, with the exception that they have much more energy. This powerful energy corresponds to its shorter wave length. To generate x-ray, using a device that heats a cathode to high temperature. The heat causes the electrons break the cathode, then the anode, through the vacuum tube; have a potential difference that attracts the electrons at a high speed.

The collision of electrons with anodes (which are generally made of tungsten) causes a x-ray photon. Full tube is protected except for a small opening that allows rays to escape in the form of a single beam with great concentration. This concentrated beam travels through space until it makes contact with the tissue.

In our body, the soft tissue cannot absorb the rays of high energy and they spend long. High density, as bone material, absorbs radiation. The rays then pass through the detector of the film, which works like a camera. The black areas are the exposed areas, representing the rays that have passed through soft tissue, while the white areas are those that were not exposed, where the rays were absorbed by tissue. Finally, the image is represented in a computer.