X-Rays and Role of Electromagnetic Radiations

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X-Rays and Role of Electromagnetic Radiations

This lesson aligns with NGSS PS4.C

Introduction

Because X-rays are used so often in medical diagnostics, we are familiar with them. However, they have also revolutionized scientific research and other industries along with the field of medicine. In the electromagnetic spectrum, x-rays lie between gamma rays and ultraviolet light. Because of their high energy, electromagnetic waves possess a remarkable ability to penetrate inside and reveal hidden secrets. In this article, you will learn about x-rays, discovery, properties, and application in various fields.

What are X-rays?

An X-ray is a powerful electromagnetic energy that comes from an atom's electron cloud. It is produced because of energy change when an electron moves from a higher energy level to a lower level in an atom. As a result of electron shift, X-rays are produced and energy released.

X-rays with great penetrating power have shorter wavelengths than Ultraviolet (UV) and longer than gamma rays. X-rays have wavelengths between 0.01 and 10 nanometers, which is equivalent to energies between 100 eV and 100 keV and frequencies between 3 × 1019 Hz and 3 × 1016 Hz

X-rays and Gamma Rays are similar, but their primary source is different: X-rays are produced because an electron moves its position outside the nucleus. While gamma rays are emitted from atomic nuclei. Another difference is that X-rays have longer wavelengths and less energy than gamma rays.

X-Ray Discovery

German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen discovered X-rays in 1895 while experimenting with cathode-ray tubes. As Rontgen studied the behavior of cathode rays in a vacuum tube, when he moved a fluorescent screen in his lab away from the cathode-ray tube and covered it from direct light, he saw that the screen started to glow.

Rontgen named these rays X because of unknown radiation. This surprising and enigmatic kind of radiation eventually became known as X-rays. Roentgen won his first Nobel Prize in 1901 in Physics for his discovery, which amounts to nothing less than a scientific revolution. He had made a significant discovery with his newfound insight into the unseen realm of matter.

Properties Of X-Ray

Penetration: X-rays are ionizing radiations, which means they carry enough energy to ionize atoms and disrupt atoms by penetrating inside them. This property makes these rays harmful to living cells.
Absorption: Various substances absorb X-rays at varying degrees. X-rays are used to capture human skeleton defects because they traverse relatively thick objects without being absorbed or scattered. Bones absorb X-rays more efficiently than soft tissues.
Scattering: X-rays can scatter and create a dispersed X-ray pattern when they contact materials. This property of X-ray diffraction is in X-ray crystallography, an imaging technique that uses scattering to analyze the structure of crystals
.Fluorescence: for element analysis and identification of composition, X-rays are used, which can excite atoms inside a material, resulting in the emission of a distinctive X-ray fluorescence.

Application of X-Rays

X-rays are not restricted to the medical industry; they are also remarkably applied in other industries. Its harmful effects necessitate its restricted and regulated usage.

X-rays in Medicine and Diagnostics

Radiography

Using X-ray radiation to create two-dimensional pictures is known as projectional radiography. X-rays can get absorbed in Calcium, such as in bones, because Calcium has high atomic numbers, which makes the bones visible on the radiograph by lowering the number of X-rays entering the detector in their shadow. However, its absorption in other tissues is less. It can give a clear image of lungs or any trapped gas but cannot distinguish between types of tissues. Dental radiography is a widely utilized diagnostic tool for common oral health issues, including cavities.

CT Scan

Computed tomography is a scanning technique in which various two-dimensional X-ray pictures are collected to make 3D pictures of a specific body part, like the brain. This 3D image can be used for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes of complicated problems, including internal injuries and neurological disorders.

Mammography

X-ray mammography is essential for early detection and screening of breast cells, which is impossible through other radiology techniques. It facilitates the detection of abnormalities in breast tissue, such as tumors or microcalcifications.

Fluoroscopy

Fluoroscopy is an imaging technique that gives real-time imaging of the internal structure of patients with the help of a fluoroscope. A fluoroscope consists of an X-ray source, and a fluorescent screen between patients is placed. However, in recent days, modern fluoroscopes have enabled doctors to monitor different procedures in a video form. This method helped them do guided catheterization procedures for heart diseases and examine digestive disorders in barium swallow.

Applications in Science and Industry

X-rays are used in many other disciplines than medicine, including:

X-Ray Scanner

X-ray scanners are used for security, which can help find illegal drugs or forbidden items like weapons at airports or border crossings.

X-ray Crystallography

X-rays can scatter and disperse, which helps scientists examine the crystalline materials' structure and learn more about their composition and characteristics with the help of X-ray diffraction.

X-Ray Astronomy

Astronomers are researching celestial bodies like black holes and neutron stars because they emit X-rays in severe environments.

Summary

X-rays are electromagnetic waves produced when an electron changes its orbital position and releases energy.
X-rays have shorter wavelengths, so they can penetrate easily inside the cells, which can cause lethal effects on exposed skin. Specific measures are taken to minimize its exposure during experimentation and medical analysis.
In 1895, Rontgen discovered these rays while experimenting with cathode tubes and won the Nobel Prize.
X-rays have diffraction, absorption, and fluorescence properties, making their application vast.

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