X-rays are produced when electrons collide with which component in the tube?

X-rays are produced when electrons collide with which component in the tube?

• A. Tungsten target anode
• B. Cathode filament
• C. Glass envelope
• D. Cooling oil

Answer: (A)

X-rays arise when high-energy electrons emitted by the heated cathode are accelerated toward and collide with the atoms in the anode target. In dental tubes, the target is made of tungsten because its high atomic number increases x-ray production and its high melting point tolerates the intense heat. When the electrons strike the tungsten atoms, energy is released as x-ray photons (mostly Bremsstrahlung, with some characteristic radiation) and most of the input energy becomes heat, which the cooling oil must remove. The other components—the filament as the electron source, the glass envelope for a vacuum, and the cooling oil for heat management—do not generate x-rays themselves.

X-rays arise when high-energy electrons emitted by the heated cathode are accelerated toward and collide with the atoms in the anode target. In dental tubes, the target is made of tungsten because its high atomic number increases x-ray production and its high melting point tolerates the intense heat. When the electrons strike the tungsten atoms, energy is released as x-ray photons (mostly Bremsstrahlung, with some characteristic radiation) and most of the input energy becomes heat, which the cooling oil must remove. The other components—the filament as the electron source, the glass envelope for a vacuum, and the cooling oil for heat management—do not generate x-rays themselves.