X rays are produced when
- A. electrons are slowed down suddenly on striking a metal target
- B. a metal is heated to a very high temperature
- C. light is passed through a prism
- D. a nucleus decays
Explanation
Fast electrons decelerating in the target emit a continuous spectrum of X rays known as bremsstrahlung, and knocking out inner shell electrons produces sharp characteristic lines on top of it. The efficiency is low, so most of the electron energy becomes heat and the target must be cooled. Gamma rays are similar radiation but originate in the nucleus instead.
Related questions
A black body is one that
As a black body gets hotter, the wavelength at which it radiates most strongly
The photon energy of light of wavelength 600 nm is closest to
According to Einstein's theory of special relativity, the mass of an object moving at a speed close to that of light
The mass energy relation E equals mc squared implies that