DANB Radiation Health and Safety (RHS) Practice Exam

Which component of the x-ray machine is responsible for generating the x-ray beam?

1. Filament circuit

2. Anode

3. Cathode

4. Both Anode and Cathode

The correct answer is: Both Anode and Cathode

The generation of the x-ray beam in an x-ray machine involves both the anode and the cathode, which work together to create the necessary conditions for x-ray production. The cathode is responsible for heating the filament, which produces electrons through a process called thermionic emission. When the x-ray machine is activated, these electrons are released and directed towards the anode. The anode, typically made of a high atomic number material such as tungsten, serves as the target where the high-speed electrons collide. This collision produces x-rays through two primary processes: characteristic radiation and Bremsstrahlung radiation. Characteristic radiation occurs when an incoming electron dislodges an inner-shell electron of the anode material, causing a vacancy that is filled by an outer-shell electron, which emits an x-ray photon as it drops to the lower energy state. Bremsstrahlung radiation occurs when electrons are decelerated or deflected by the positive charge of the nucleus in the anode material, resulting in the release of energy in the form of x-rays. Thus, both components—the cathode and the anode—are crucial for the production of the x-ray beam. The cathode generates the electrons, and the anode is where these