X-RAY

A) DEFINITION, EQUATION & UNIT

DEFINITION
X-ray
Thermionic Emission
Continuous X-ray
Characteristic X-ray
Bremsstrahlung
Soft X-ray
Hard X-ray
B) PROPERTIES OF X-RAY
X-rays travel in a straight lines

at the speed of light

X-rays cannot be deflected by electric fields

uncharged or neutral particles)

or magnetic fields

. (This is convincing evidence that they are

X-rays can be diffracted by the crystal lattice if the spacing between two consecutive planes of atoms approximately
equal to its wavelength.
X-rays affect photographic film.
X-rays can produce fluorescence and photoelectric emission.

 X-rays penetrate matter. Penetration power is least

in the materials of high density.

C) PRODUCTION OF X-RAY

An x-ray tube consists of

An evacuated glass tube to allow the electrons strike the target without collision with gas molecules.
A heated filament as a cathode and is made from the material of lower ionization energy.
A target as an anode made from a heavy metal of high melting point such as tungsten and molybdenum.
A cooling system that is used to prevent the target (anode) from melting.
A high voltage source that is used to set the anode at a large positive potential compare to the filament.
The glass tube is evacuated so that the electrons are pulled towards the anode at a very high speed without colliding
with air molecules,
When a filament (cathode) is heated by the current supplied to it (filament current If), many electrons are emitted by
thermionic emission (is defined as the emission of electrons from a heated conductor).
These electrons are accelerated towards a target, which is maintained at a high positive voltage relative to cathode

The high speed electrons strike the target and rapidly decelerated on impact, suddenly the x-rays are emitted. Target
metal is made of heavy metals with a high melting point such as molybdenum or tungsten. This is to prevent the target
form melting easily.
The kinetic energy of an electron striking the target in the X-ray tube is eV.

The de Broglie wavelength of an electron having kinetic energy eV is given by

 The efficiency of an X-ray tube is very low, less than 3%. The remaining is converted into heat energy. Power loss is very
high, therefore the tube require the cooling system.

D) DIFFERENCES BETWEEN X-RAY PRODUCTIONS WITH PHOTOELECTRIC EFFECT

X-RAY EMISSION
Electrons incident on a target cause the
emission of EM radiation (x-rays)

ASPECT

PHOTOELECTRIC EFFECT

Definition

EM radiation incident on a target causes the

emission of electrons

Diagram

E) PROCESS
CONTINUOUS X-RAY

CHARACTERISTIC X-RAY

Some of high speed electrons which bombard the target undergo The electrons which bombard the target are very energetic and are
a rapid deceleration. This is braking
capable of knock out the inner shell electrons from the target atom,
As the electrons suddenly come to rest in the target, a part or all
creating the inner shell vacancies.
of their kinetic energies are converted into energy of EM When these are refilled by electrons from the outer shells, the
radiation immediately called Bremsstrahlung
electrons making a transition from any one of the outer shells (higher
energy level) to the inner shell (lower energy level) vacancies and emit
Kinetic Energy Of The Electron, K = E, Energy Of EM Radiation
the characteristic x-rays.
Since the energy of characteristic x-rays equal to the difference of the

 These x-rays cover a wide range of wavelengths or

frequencies and its energies are continuous.

two energies level, thus its energy is discrete. Then its frequency and
wavelength also discrete.

F) DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CONTINUOUS X-RAY WITH CHARACTERISTIC X-RAY

CONTINUOUS X-RAY

ASPECT

CHARACTERISTIC X-RAY

Definition
Energy
Wavelength
Frequency
Equation
Bremsstrahlung in German which is braking
radiation.

Other Name

CONTINUOUS (BACKGROUND) SPECTRUM

The continuous spectrum is produced by electrons colliding with the target and being decelerated due to the production of
continuous x-rays.
According to the x-ray spectra, the continuous spectrum has a minimum wavelength.
The existence of the minimum wavelength is due to the emission of the most energetic photon where the kinetic
energy of an electron accelerated through the x-ray tube is completely converted into the photon energy . This
happens when the electron colliding with the target is decelerated and stopped in a single collision.
When a high energy electron hits the metal target, the electron is decelerated or retarted due to the coulomb force between
the electron and the nuclei in the target metal.
During deceleration of the electron, a photon of energy hf is emitted by the bombarding electron. The magnitude of hf
depend on how close is the interaction between the electron and the nuclei in the metal.
If the electron is accelerated through a voltage V, the kinetic energy of the electron is
Kinetic energy of the electron, K = U, Electric potential energy

eV
E
hmcin
= eV

When the kinetic energy of the electron is completely converted into the photon energy , thus the minimum wavelength
min of the x-rays is

From the equation above, the minimum wavelength depends on the applied voltage across the x-ray tube and
independent of target material.
CHARACTERISTIC LINES

The characteristic lines are the result of electrons transition within the atoms of the target material due to the
production of characteristic x-rays.
These characteristic lines is the property of the target material i.e. for difference material the wavelengths of the
characteristic lines are different.
Note that the wavelengths of the characteristic lines does not changes when the applied voltage across x-ray tube
changes.
There are several types of characteristic lines series:
K lines series is defined as the line spectra produced due to electron transition from outer shell to K shell vacancy
and emits a photon, hf.

K line = Electron transition from L shell (n =2) to K shell vacancy (n =1)

K line = Electron transition from M shell (n =3) to K shell vacancy (n =1)
K line = Electron transition from N shell (n =4) to K shell vacancy (n =1)
L lines series is defined as the lines spectra produced due to electron transition from outer shell to L shell vacancy
and emits a photon, hf.
L line = Electron transition from M shell (n =3) to L shell vacancy (n =2)
L line = Electron transition from N shell (n =4) to L shell vacancy (n =2)

L line = Electron transition from O shell (n =5) to L shell vacancy (n =2)

M lines series is defined as the lines spectra produced due to electron transition from outer shell to M shell
vacancy and emits a photon, hf.
M line = Electron transition from N shell (n =4) to M shell vacancy (n =3)
M line = Electron transition from O shell (n =5) to M shell vacancy (n =3)
M line = Electron transition from P shell (n =6) to M shell vacancy (n =3)

COMPARE K LINE WITH K LINE

K LINE
Low Photon Energy

Low Frequency

Longer Wavelength

High Intensity

ASPECT
Photon
Energy
Frequency

Wavelength

Intensity

K LINE
High Photon Energy

High Frequency

Short Wavelength

Low Intensity

REASON

Energy of photon, E =hf. K photon energy is higher

than the K photon energy.
Therefore, from the equation energy of photon
directly proportional to the frequency.

Energy of photon, E =hf and

. K photon
energy is higher than the K photon energy.
Therefore, from the equation energy of photon
inversely proportional to the wavelength.
K transition has a high probability of occurrence
than K transition.
Jumping of electron from the L-shell to the K-shell has
a higher chance of occurrence than the jumping of
electron from M-shell to the K-shell in the atom.

PENETRATING POWER OF X-RAY

The strength of the x-rays are determined by their penetrating power.

The penetrating power depends on the wavelength of the x-rays where if their wavelength are short then the
penetrating power is high.
X-rays of low penetrating power are called soft x-ray and those of high penetrating power are called hard x-ray.

H) GRAPH

At low applied voltage across the tube, only a continuous spectrum of radiation exists. As the applied voltage
increases, groups of sharp peaks superimposed on the continuous radiation begin to appear. These peaks are
lines spectra (characteristic lines) where it is depend on the target material.
I)

FACTORS INFLUENCE THE X-RAY SPECTRA

FACTOR
Filament Current

EXPLAINATION
When it is increased, the number of
electrons colliding with the target

EFFECT ON GRAPH

increases. As a result, the number of

x-ray photons produced per second
increases. Hence, the intensity of
the x-ray spectra also increased
The minimum wavelength will not
change.
The wavelength of the characteristic
lines will not change.
The area under the
spectrum increases.

Applied Voltage (Potential

Difference) Across X-Ray Tube

When it is increased, the intensity of

the x-ray spectra also increased but
the
minimum
wavelength
is
decreased.
The
wavelengths
characteristic
lines
unchanged

Target Material

continuous

of

the
remain

When the target material is changed

with heavy material (greater in
atomic number), the intensity of the
x-ray
spectra
increased,
the
wavelengths of the characteristic
lines decreased.

The minimum wavelength remains

unchanged

G) INTENSITY OF X-RAYS
The intensity of x-rays makes more energy available for x-rays production depends on :
The number of electrons hitting the target i.e. the filament current.
The voltage across the tube. If the voltage increases so the energy of the bombarding electrons increases and
therefore makes more energy available for x-rays production.
J)

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN X-RAY EMISSION SPECTRA AND OPTICAL ATOMIC EMISSION SPECTRA
X-RAY EMISSION SPECTRA

OPTICAL ATOMIC EMISSION SPECTRA

Is produced when the inner-most shell electron knocked out and

left vacancy. This vacancy is filled by electron from outer shells.

Is produced when the electron from ground state rises to the

excited state.

The electron transition from outer shells to inner shell vacancy

emits energy of x-rays and produced x-ray spectra.

After that, the electron return to the ground state and emits energy
of EM radiation whos produced the emission spectra.

K) DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SOFT X-RAY & HARD X-RAY

SOFT X-RAY
X-ray having wavelength longer than 10-10 m
Low penetrating power

ASPECT
Wavelength
Penetrating Power

HARD X-RAY
X-ray having wavelength shorter than 10-10 m
High penetrating power

L) SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN X-RAY & GAMMA RAY

SIMILARITIES
1) They are electromagnetic wave

2) They are transverse wave

X-RAY
Produced when high energy electrons strike a
heavy metal
Longer wavelength than gamma ray
Used for medical imaging

DIFFERENCES ON
ASPECT
How It Produced
Wavelength
Uses / Application

GAMMA RAY
Produced during radioactivity or nuclear
decay, and emitted from the nucleus of an
atom
Shorter wavelength than X-ray
Used for radiotherapy to treat cancer patient

M) EQUATION
EQUATION
Minimum X-ray Wavelength,
Maximum X-ray Frequency,
de Broglie Wavelength
Kinetic Energy Of Electron
N) HOW X-RAY DIFFRACTION OCCUR
1) Crystal consists of atoms arranged in regular atomic planes

UNIT