Midterm

To convert electric energy into electromagnetic energy.

The study of stationary electric charges.

Positive and negative.

Coulomb (C).

It has too few or too many electrons.

The process of adding or removing electrons from an object.

It serves as a reservoir for stray electric charges.

The electrostatic force is directly proportional to the product of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

Volt (V).

The study of electric charges in motion.

A substance through which electrons flow easily.

Copper, aluminum, or water.

A material that does not allow electron flow.

Glass, rubber, or clay.

A material that can behave as a conductor or an insulator under certain conditions.

William Shockley in 1946.

A material that allows electrons to flow without resistance.

The voltage across a circuit is equal to current times resistance (V = IR).

All circuit elements are connected in a line along the same conductor.

Elements are connected at their ends rather than in a line along a conductor.

Converts electric current into mechanical motion.

It produces electric current from mechanical motion.

It transforms electric potential and current into higher or lower intensities.

A transformer with a turns ratio greater than 1, increasing voltage on the secondary side.

A transformer with a turns ratio less than 1, decreasing voltage on the secondary side.

Electrons traveling from cathode to anode in an x-ray tube.

The production of heat, characteristic radiation, and bremsstrahlung radiation.

Radiation produced when a projectile electron removes an inner-shell electron in a target atom.

Radiation produced when a projectile electron is slowed by the electric field of a target atom nucleus.

The number of x-rays at each increment of energy in keV.

A measure of the number of x-ray photons in the useful beam, also called intensity.

Measurement of the penetrating ability of the x-ray beam.

Milliampere-seconds, the product of tube current and exposure time, controlling x-ray quantity.

It is equivalent to doubling the mAs.

It reduces x-ray beam intensity while increasing average energy.

The variation in voltage output from an x-ray machine over time.

It produces a nearly constant voltage, leading to efficient and consistent x-ray output.

The tendency of certain materials to retain magnetism after being exposed to a magnetic field.

The process of making ferromagnetic material magnetic.

A coil of wire that generates a magnetic field when an electric current passes through it.

To emit electrons that travel to the anode, where x-rays are produced.

Half-wave rectification, full-wave rectification, three-phase, and high-frequency.

To control the size and shape of the x-ray beam and reduce scatter radiation.

To reduce scatter radiation reaching the image receptor and improve image contrast.

Increases the number of x-rays produced.

Kilovolt peak, controlling the energy and penetration of x-rays.

Increases the amplitude and shifts the spectrum to higher energies.

An interaction where an x-ray photon is absorbed, ejecting an electron from an atom.

An x-ray interaction where a photon scatters after transferring energy to an electron, leading to image noise.

Roentgen (R)

Gray (Gy)

Sievert (Sv)

Linear Energy Transfer, the amount of energy an ionizing particle transfers per unit distance.

As Low As Reasonably Achievable, a principle to minimize radiation exposure.

To absorb low-energy x-rays and improve the quality of the beam.

Increases current on the secondary side as it lowers voltage.

Nonmagnetic, diamagnetic, paramagnetic, and ferromagnetic.

To focus the electron beam towards the anode.

Increases the efficiency and energy of x-rays produced.

To distribute heat generated in x-ray production and prevent damage.

Controls the amount of x-ray photons produced by varying tube current.

kVp, mA, filtration, and target material.

The generation of electric current through a changing magnetic field.

The intensity of radiation is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the source.

A graph representing the number of x-rays for each energy level (keV) produced by an x-ray tube.

Characteristic x-ray spectrum and bremsstrahlung x-ray spectrum.

A plot showing discrete x-ray energies specific to the target material, resulting from electron transitions to lower energy levels.

Because the x-ray energies are unique to the target element, forming sharp peaks on the spectrum.

A continuous range of x-ray energies produced when high-speed electrons are slowed by the electric field of a nucleus.

A smooth curve with a peak, showing a broad range of x-ray energies.

Characteristic x-rays have specific energy levels, while bremsstrahlung x-rays have a continuous range of energies.

X-ray tube voltage (kVp), tube current (mA), target material, filtration, and voltage waveform.

Increasing kVp increases the amplitude of the spectrum and shifts it to higher energies, enhancing beam penetrability.

It reduces x-ray quantity but increases average energy by absorbing low-energy x-rays.

Higher atomic number materials increase efficiency and produce higher-energy x-rays.

The amplitude of the spectrum increases, resulting in more x-ray photons, but the energy distribution remains unchanged.

Increases the energy of characteristic x-rays, resulting in sharper peaks on the spectrum.

A more stable waveform (e.g., high-frequency) results in higher x-ray output and more consistent quality.

The most common energy level of x-rays produced.