What is a continuous X-ray?

Answer: Continuous X-rays are created when a free moving electron gets in close enough range of an atomic nucleus that the two electromagnetically interact (remember that electrons have a negative charge and nuclei have a positive charge). When this occurs, the electron will lose some of its kinetic energy.

What are the two types of X-rays?

There are two types of X-ray generated: characteristic radiation and bremsstrahlung radiation.

What is origin of continuous X-ray spectra?

Origin – Continuous X-ray spectra X-rays are produced, when high velocity electrons strike the target material of high atomic number. It has also been mentioned in the production of X-rays, that most of the energy of the electrons goes into the heating of the target material.

What is discrete X-ray spectrum?

In an X-ray tube, in addition to the continuous spectrum of radiation emitted by the decelerating electrons, there is also a spectrum of discrete X-ray emission lines that is characteristic of the target material. This energy difference usually corresponds to photon wavelengths in the X-ray region of the spectrum.

Why is a rainbow considered a continuous spectrum?

A continuous spectrum contains many different colors, or wavelengths, with no gaps. Perfectly white light shined through a prism causes dispersion of the light, and we see a rainbow. This is a continuous spectrum.

What objects produces continuous spectrum?

Most continuous spectra are from hot, dense objects like stars, planets, or moons. The continuous spectrum from these kinds of objects is also called a thermal spectrum, because hot, dense objects will emit electromagnetic radiation at all wavelengths or colors.

What are some examples of a classic continuous spectrum?

A rainbow is an example of a continuous spectrum. Most continuous spectra are from hot, dense objects like stars, planets, or moons. The continuous spectrum from these kinds of objects is also called a thermal spectrum, because hot, dense objects will emit electromagnetic radiation at all wavelengths or colors.

Is a car headlight continuous or line?

An incandescent light bulb produces a continuous spectrum because the source of the light is a metal filament (wire). A continuous spectrum emanates from the dark parts of the universe. The peak of this radiation corresponds to a temperature of about 2.7 degrees Kelvin.

What does it mean when a spectrum is continuous?

Definition of continuous spectrum : a spectrum (as of light emitted by a white-hot lamp filament) having no apparent breaks or gaps throughout its wavelength range.

Why is thermal radiation continuous?

Such spectra are emitted by any warm substance. Since electrons are much lighter than atoms, irregular thermal motion produces irregular oscillatory charge motion, which reflects a continuous spectrum of frequencies. …

What produces a continuous spectrum?

Continuous spectra (also called thermal or blackbody spectra) arise from dense gases or solid objects which radiate heat. They emit radiation over a broad range of wavelengths, thus the spectra appear smooth and continuous.

What is continuous X-ray radiation?

Continuous X-ray radiation is for the fact that the change in the velocity which causes the emission of much of the radiation in a tube, which is used as a radiography source is a random process that emits photons at different energies. If we look at the spectrum of an X-ray tube it normally has a broad lump due to this Bremsstrahlung emission.

What are the different types of X-rays?

X-rays can be broken into two categories: continuous X-rays and characteristic X-rays. Continuous X-rays are created when free moving electrons electromagnetically interact with nuclei, whereas characteristic X-rays are formed during the electron transition processes that occur when an inner shell electron is released from an atom.

What is a characteristic X-ray?

When we mention characteristic X-ray, it means x-ray photons which have an energy equivalent to the difference of energy in two electronic levels of an atom. The main reason why it is called the characteristic is that each of the elements has a specific difference in energy.

What is the minimum wavelength of X ray?

The X – rays consist of a continuous range of frequencies up to a maximum frequency f max or minimum wavelength λ min. This is called continuous X – rays. The minimum wavelength depends on the anode voltage. If V is the potential difference between the anode and the cathode.