How Do X-Rays Actually Work

X-rays are an amazing technology that was discovered quit by accident. X-ray machines have proved their immense value to the medical community, and their presence in airports all over the globe continues to prove their worth on the front lines of the war on terror. But, how do x-rays actually work? How exactly where they discovered?

Wilhelm Roentgen, a German physicist, is credited with discover the x-ray in 1895. He accidently stumbled onto this technology while experimenting with electron beams in a gas discharge tube. The physicist noticed that when the electron beam was turned on, a fluorescent screen in his laboratory began to glow. What was so amazing about the incident wasn’t the fluorescent material glowing, that’s a normal reaction to electromagnetic radiation. What was amazing was that the tube was surrounded by heavy, black cardboard. Roentgen’s assumption that the cardboard would serve to block most, if not all, of the radiation wasn’t correct.

With a head still full of amazement, Roentgen began placing a variety of objects between the tube and the screen, one by one, and when he put his own hand in between the tube and the screen, he saw the silhouette of his hand, and the bones within it, projected onto the screen. The x-ray, one of the most beneficial and widely-used pieces of medical apparatus, was born! Here’ how it works.

Part of the x-ray machines makeup is a tube that has a pair of electrodes inside of it. One of the electrodes is called a cathode and the other is called an anode. These electrodes act as conductors that release energy when an electrical current is introduced.

The cathode releases energy that’s called electrons. On the opposite side of the machine is the anode. The anode is a disc made out of tungsten, a particular material that attracts the electrons. (The energy that’s been released) When the electrons come in contact with the anode their energy is transformed in an energy called photons.

When these photons are passed through a cylinder made of lead, and a series of filters, an x-ray beam is created. This x-ray beam, or energy, passes through an object (the patient) and as the photons reach the film it causes a chemical reaction.

This is the point where the image appears on the film. The energy that passed through the object shows up black and the energy that was absorbed by the patient (The bones) shows up white. Pretty cool, huh?

The x-ray is really one of the most important inventions of the 20th century. The x-ray allows medical professionals to see the bone structure of the body without having to take invasive measures. Because of the x-ray, the patient doesn’t have to undergo surgery which could expose them to infection. Also, the healthcare professionals have almost instant access to the results which in turn speeds up their ability to treat the patient. It goes without say that the x-ray has no doubt saved countless lives over the years, and will continue to do so as time goes on.

Trudi Buck writes about how to apply to radiology tech schools.