X-RAYS

HOW ARE THEY CREATED

• "X-rays are produced when electrons strike a metal target. The electrons are liberated from the heated filament and accelerated by a high voltage towards the metal target. The X-rays are produced when the electrons collide with the atoms and nuclei of the metal target"
• ("How are X-Rays made?" nobelprize.org)

RESEARCH QUESTION

• Other than for medical reasons, what are some other uses for x-ray waves?

WAVE APPLICATIONS

• Medicine research
• telescopes, still imaging for NASA
• reveal cellular structures and microorganisms
• Airport security

WHY IS IT USED FOR THESE FUNCTIONS?

• "Laser bursts made from x-rays are so bright and so brief that they should allow researchers to create ultrafast stop-motion movies of natural phenomena that have never before been seen clearly. For example, until now the formation and breakage of molecular bonds by atoms was essentially a blur to scientists. But with x-ray lasers, biological reactions—such as photosynthesis, which plants use to convert sunlight into energy—could theoretically be visualized one step at a time"
• (nationalgeographic.com)

POSSIBLE DANGERS

• Emits radiation
• Radiation can cause mutations in DNA
• These genetic mutations could lead to cancer

FREQUENCY

• 3 x 10^16 Hz and upward

WAVELENGTH

• 10 nm and below
• A sheet of paper is about 100,000 nanometers thick

INTERESTING FACT

• Again, wavelength of an x-ray is 10 nm
• This is about as long as your fingernail grows in ten seconds

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