Lecture - 1

X-Rays
Jayant Nagda
Physics Educator

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B.Tech, IIT Bombay

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X - Rays
High energy e-s when are made to strike a metal target,
electromagnetic radiation called X-Rays are produced.

Large part of this radiation has wavelength

of order 0.1 nm or 1Å known as X-rays.
X - Rays
● They are electromagnetic waves

● have speed c = 3 × 108 m/s in vacuum

● wavelength between 0.1 Å to 1 Å

● invisible to eye

● photons of energy around 1000 times more than the

visible light.
Example MCQ type Question [ +4 , -1]

X-rays can not penetrate through a sheet of

A. wood B. paper

C. aluminium D. lead
X - Rays Soft X-ray Hard X-ray

Wavelength 10 Å to 100 Å 0.1 Å - 10 Å

Penetrating power Less More

Use Radio-photography Radio-therapy

X - Rays Production
Discovered by V.C. Roentgen (German) in 1895

For X–Ray production three things are required:

(iii) Target on which these

high speed electron strike
(i) Source of electron

(ii) Means of accelerating these electron to high speed

Coolidge Tube or X - ray tube

e-s are accelerated through Potential Difference

between cathode & anode metal target is hit with e-

Glass Chamber
Anode
Cathode e-
target Water
T

filament F

Filament when heated emits window

e-s (thermionic emission)
X - Rays
Coolidge Tube Only 1% or 2% kinetic energy of electron beam
is used to produce X-Ray.

Target Metal:
(a) Must have high atomic number to produce hard X–rays.
(b) High melting point to withstand high temperature produced.
(c) High thermal conductivity to remove the heat produced
(d) Tantalum, Platinum, Molybdenum and Tungsten serve as
target materials
Example MCQ type Question [ +4 , -1]

Generation of X-rays is -
A. phenomenon of conversion of K.E. into radiant energy

B. principle of conservation of momentum

C. phenomenon of conservation of mass into energy

D. principle of conservation of electric charge

This e- when enters target, loses this K.E. during collisions,
eventually coming to rest. While making several of these
collisions with atoms of target :-

1. A part of this K.E. loss goes into photon of EM radiation

& remaining part increases K.E. of colliding target particle
which goes into heat.
Bremsstrahlung Radiation
is the radiation given off by a charged particle (most often an electron)
due to its acceleration caused by an electric field of another charged
particle (most often a proton or an atomic nucleus).
The KE loss hence the energy of Photon
appearing in this case varies with collision hence
this value can be anything between 0 to eV

Maximum energy of such a photon is

Cutoff wavelength depends on V

not on target or filament material.
Continuous X - Rays
Intensity
wavelengths where intensity varies gradually
are called Continuous X-rays.

λmin Wavelength
hc
Cutoff wavelength or Threshold wavelength K = eV =
minimum wavelength below which no X - Ray is emitted. λmin

V : p.d. b/w target and filament

K : if e-s are ejected at filament

with negligible speed, K.E. of e-s
when it hits target
Continuous X–Rays also known as white X–ray

Minimum wavelength of these spectrum only depends on

applied potential and doesn' t depend on atomic number.

mv2 = h𝜈max ………. (i)

mv2 = eV ………. (ii) [here V is applied potential]

From (i) and (ii) h𝜈max = eV

Example MCQ type Question [ +4 , -1]

Consider a photon of continuous X-ray coming from a

coolidge tube. Its energy comes from–
A. K.E. of striking electron

B. K.E. of free electron of the target

C. K.E. of the ions of the target

D. an atomic transition in the target

Example MCQ type Question [ +4 , -1]

If the potential difference applied to the tube is doubled

and the separation between the filament and the target is
also doubled, the cutoff wavelength -
A. will remain unchanged
B. will be doubled
C. will be halved
D. will become four times the original.
Example MCQ type Question [ +4 , -1]
Which of the following statements are correct
for an X-ray tube-

A. on increasing potential difference between filament

and target, photon flux of X-Rays increases
B. on increasing potential difference between filament
and target, frequency of X-Ray increases
C. on increasing filament current, cut off wavelength
increases
D. on increasing filament current, intensity of X-Rays
decreases.
Example MCQ type Question [ +4 , -1]

A potential difference of 20 kV is applied across an X-ray

tube. The minimum wavelength of X-rays generated is–
A. 0.26 Å B. 0.62 Å

C. 0.16 Å D. 0.50 Å
Example MCQ type Question [ +4 , -1]

To produce hard X-rays in coolidge tube we should

increase -
A. current in filament (heating)
B. potential difference across the filament (heating)
C. potential difference across cathode and anticathode
D. none of these
Absorption of X–Ray
I0

➔ Maximum absorption of X–ray → Lead I

➔ Minimum absorption of X–ray → Air

X
When X–ray passes through x thickness then its intensity

I = I0e–𝛍x I0 = Intensity of incident X–ray

I = Intensity of X–ray after passing
through x distance
𝛍 = absorption coefficient of material
Absorption of X–RAY

➔ Intensity of X–ray decrease exponentially.

I = I0e–𝛍x
I0

Half thickness (x1/2) X

The distance travelled by X–ray when intensity become
half the original value x1/2 = ln2/𝛍
Example MCQ type Question [ +4 , -1]

X-ray from a Coolidge tube is incident on a thin aluminium

foil. The intensity of the X-ray transmitted by the foil is
found to be I0. The heating current is increased so as to
increase the temperature of the filament. The intensity of
the X-ray transmitted by the foil will be
A. zero B. < I0 C. I0 D. > I0
 2. e- knocks out an inner e- of target atom
with which it collides.

n = 1 K shell 2 electrons

n = 2 L shell 8 electrons

n = 3 M shell 18 electrons

If knocked e- is from K - shell, it creates a gap

to be filled by e- from upper shell,

n = 1 can accommodate only two by Pauli’s exclusion principle.

X-rays emitted due to electronic transition from a higher energy
state to a vacancy created in the K-shell are called K - X-rays.

L shell (n=2) ➝ K shell (n=1) K∝

M shell (n=3)➝ K shell (n=1) Kβ

Characteristic X-Rays

X-rays where intensity is large are

called Characteristic X-rays K∝ and
Kβ

Intensity During this transition

K∝
Kβ

Photon is emitted, of X-ray

λmin Wavelength
Characteristic X-Rays

K∝
K
K∝ Kβ K𝞬
L Kβ
L∝ Lβ
M
M∝
N L∝

K∝ , Kβ etc depend on material λ∝ < λβ

Transition Wavelength Energy Energy difference Wavelength

L→K λK𝛂 h𝜈K𝛂 -(EK - EL)

(2 → 1) = h𝜈K𝛂

M→K λK𝛃 h𝜈K𝛃 -(EK - EM)

(3 → 1) = h𝜈K𝛃

M→L λL𝛂 h𝜈L𝛂 -(EL - EM)

(3 → 2) h𝜈L𝛂
Example The Kα X-ray emission line of tungsten occurs at λ =
0.021 nm. What is the energy difference between K and
L levels in this atom?
A. 69 keV B. 5.9 keV

C. 59 keV D. 49 keV
Characteristic X-Rays

Intensity K∝
Kβ

depends on
current in
filament

λmin λ1 λ2

depends on V
depends on
target material
Daily Practice Problems
Example As compared to the photons comprising red light, the
photons comprising X-rays have higher–

A. wavelength B. speed

C. mass D. energy

Ans: D
Example The photoelectrons emitted by ultraviolet rays and X-rays
from the same metallic surface differ -
A. in rest mass
B. in velocity
C. neither in rest mass nor in velocity
D. both in rest mass and velocity

Ans: B
Example If λ1 and λ2 are the wavelengths of characteristic X-rays
and gamma rays respectively, then the relation between
them is -
A. λ1 = 1/λ2 B. λ1 = λ2

C. λ1 > λ2 D. λ1 < λ2

Ans: C
Example Compare momentum of 105 eV X-ray photon (px) with that
of a 105 eV electron (pe) -
A. pe/px = 1/2 B. pe/px = 16/5

C. pe/px = 1/5 D. pe/px = 5/1

Ans: A
Example The space inside a Coolidge tube should be a -

A. high vacuum
B. filled with high-pressure gas
C. filled with low-pressure inert gas
D. filled with any gas at low pressure

Ans: A
Example The characteristic of the electrons striking the target in X-
ray tube that determine the intensity of X-rays is –
(v = constant)
A. Energy
B. Momentum
C. Number incident per sec
D. Mass

Ans: C
Example The intensity of X-rays absorbed is Ia and initial intensity is
I0. Then Ia is given by -

A. Ia = I0e–μx B. Ia = μI0x

C. Ia = I0 (1 – e–μx) D. Ia = I0 (1 – eμx)

Ans: A
Example Visible light passing through a circular hole forms a
diffraction disc of radius 0.1 mm on a screen. If X-rays is
passed through the same set-up the radius of the
diffraction disc will be -
A. zero B. < 0.1 mm C. 0.1 mm D. > 0.1mm

Ans: B
Example 50% of the X-ray coming from a Coolidge tube is able to
pass through a 0.1 mm thick aluminium foil. If the
potential difference between the target and the filament is
increased, the fraction of the X-ray passing through the
same foiled will be -
A. 0% B. < 50% C. 50% D. > 50%

Ans: D
Example White X-rays are called ‘white’ because -

A. they are produced most abundantly in X-rays tubes

B. they are electromagnetic waves and hence have a
nature similar to white light
C. they can be converted to visible light using coated
screens, and they affect photographic plates, just like
light
D. they have a continuous range of wavelengths

Ans: D
Example Which of the following is true for X-rays –
A. wavelength of continuous X-rays does not depend on
potential difference
B. wavelength of discrete X-rays does not depend on
potential difference
C. discrete X-rays have energy of the order of MeV
D. continuous X-rays have energy of the order of MeV

Ans: B
Example Regarding X-Ray spectrum, which of the following
statements is correct-
A. The characteristic X-Ray spectrum is emitted due to
excitation of inner electrons of atom
B. Wavelength of characteristic spectrum does not
depend on potential difference across the tube
C. Wavelength of continuous spectrum is dependent on
the potential difference across tube
D. None of these

Ans: A
Example Stopping potentials of 24, 100, 110, 115 KV are measured for
photo-electrons emitted from a certain element when it is
irradiated with monochromatic X-rays. The element is
used as a target in an X-ray tube. The energy of Kα line is -
A. 54 KeV B. 76 KeV C. 88 keV D. 32 KeV

Ans: B
Example Figure shows the intensity-wavelength relations of X-rays
coming from two different coolidge tubes. The solid curve
represents the relation for the tube A in which the
potential difference between the target and the filament is
VA and the atomic number of the target material is ZA.
These quantities are VB and ZB for the other tube. Then -
A. VA > VB, ZA > ZB
B. VA > VB , ZA < ZB
C. VA < VB, ZA > ZB
D. VA < VB, ZA < ZB

Ans: B
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