You can lead a life without fearing x-rays because the thought of shooting radiation is scary even though x-rays are safe. In this article, we will discuss how the x-ray machines work and understand x-rays. In 1895 x-rays were discovered during such time when a physicist was experimenting an electron beam in the tube for gas release. He performed this by lighting the beam so that that the fluorescent in the lab glowed. Fluorescents glow if they are put in front of electromagnetic radiation. It was here that x-ray was discovered when the surrounding cardboard on the tube blocked the radiation.
He went on to place many objects in front of the fluorescent screen and the tube to see what would block the radiation. He even put his hand before the tube and fluorescent, and here he saw his hand bones projected on the screen. Xray was discovered at this point, and he also discovered that it has benefits to the medical front so we can comfortably define x-ray as electronic radiation. Xray can compare to visible light although the human eye cannot see the short wavelength. There is high energy to x-ray because of the short wavelengths.
It means that this wavelength can pass through the human body and other objects. This is why through an x-ray we see bones through a human body. If you place a detector on the other side, the x-rays that go through the body they appear black, however, anything that is absorbed by the x-rays appears white such as bones.
In the vacuum glass tube, there is an electrode pair at the middle of the x-ray machine. If a cathode is charged negatively it becomes a filament that is heated through the current from the x-ray machines. The surface is filled with electrons from the filament.
Moreover, electrons are pulled through the tube after a tungsten anode which is positively charged. This is the process that forms ample energy to create an x-ray in a high energy photon form. There is thick lead in photon but using a small window, but they escape using a narrow beam to the point to x-ray. This pattern of x-ray is captured by the camera and films are developed. But this time instead of a visible light there is a chemical reaction.
You can further see soft tissues through an x-ray. This is done by putting contrast media in the body. Contract media is a liquid that better absorb x-rays than plain soft tissue. Upon swallowing barium, x-rays absorb the media which is infused in the body to make the body visible. Most cancers including lung cancer are normally detected using this process.