Electrons are used to produce x-rays by allowing a beam of electrons to strike a heavy metal surface. When the intensity of the electron beam is increased, this produces
A) x-rays with longer wavelengths.
B) x-rays with higher energy.
C) more x-rays per unit time.
D) faster x-rays.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Increasing the intensity of the electron beam (which means increasing the number of electrons hitting the target per unit time) results in more x-ray photons being produced per unit time. The energy of the x-rays (and thus their wavelength) is determined by the energy of the individual electrons, not the number of electrons. The speed of x-rays, like all electromagnetic radiation, is constant in a vacuum (the speed of light), so it does not change.

Electrons Are Used to Produce X-Rays by Allowing a Beam