Physics 9702 · AS & A Level
Production and use of X-rays
55 practice questions on Production and use of X-rays, with worked solutions and instant marking.
In an X-ray tube, the hardness of an X-ray beam can be controlled.
Feb/March 2016
Suggest two reasons for the loss of sharpness in an X-ray image.
Feb/March 2018
Outline the principles behind computed tomography (CT) scanning.
Feb/March 2019
Electrons are sped up by a potential difference of $100\,\text{kV}$. After striking a metal target, they slow down, and X-ray photons are produced.
Feb/March 2020
A potential difference of $15\text{ kV}$ speeds up the electrons. They then strike a metal target, and an X-ray spectrum is emitted.
Feb/March 2021
Inside an X-ray tube, electrons are accelerated by a potential difference of $75\,\text{kV}$. They then collide with a tungsten target whose effective mass is $15\,\text{g}$. The electron energy is changed into the energy of X-ray photons with an efficiency of $5.0\%$. The remaining energy is turned into thermal energy.
Feb/March 2022
Briefly explain the principles behind CT scanning.
May/June 2010
Explain briefly the main principles behind using magnetic resonance to obtain diagnostic information about internal body structures.
May/June 2011
Fast electrons strike a metal target. The spectrum of the emitted X-ray radiation is shown in Fig. 11.1.
May/June 2012
An aluminium block is positioned close to a small source of X-ray radiation, as shown in Fig. 10.1. X-rays from the source are detected at point A and at point B. State two reasons why the intensity of the X-ray beam at point B is less than the intensity at point A.
May/June 2012
Distinguish sharpness from contrast in X-ray imaging.
May/June 2013
Explain how the accelerating voltage in the X-ray tube controls the hardness of an X-ray beam.
May/June 2013
Distinguish, in X-ray imaging, between sharpness and contrast.
May/June 2013
Briefly outline the principles behind CT scanning.
May/June 2014
Distinguish between an X-ray image of a body structure and a CT scan. X-ray image: ________. CT scan: ________.
May/June 2014
Outline briefly the basic principles behind CT scanning.
May/June 2014
State and explain how the hardness of the X-ray beam in an X-ray tube is controlled.
May/June 2015
State and explain how the hardness of the X-ray beam is controlled in an X-ray tube.
May/June 2015
High-speed electrons strike a metal target, creating X-ray photons. The way the intensity of the X-ray beam varies with wavelength is shown in Fig. 12.1.
May/June 2016
State what the hardness of an X-ray beam means.
May/June 2017
State the meaning of the hardness of an X-ray beam.
May/June 2017
An X-ray beam is employed to create an image of a thumb model. A parallel beam of X-ray radiation with intensity $I_0$ falls on the model, as shown in Fig. 12.1. Information for the attenuation (absorption) coefficient $\mu$ in bone and in soft tissue is given in Fig. 12.2.
May/June 2018
Describe the fundamental principles behind CT scanning (computed tomography).
May/June 2018
An X-ray beam is used to make an image of a thumb model. A parallel beam of X-ray radiation with intensity $I_0$ falls on the model, as shown in Fig. 12.1. Values of the attenuation (absorption) coefficient $\mu$ for bone and soft tissue are given in Fig. 12.2.
May/June 2018
State how the intensity of the X-ray beam and its hardness are controlled in a modern X-ray tube. Intensity: Hardness:
May/June 2021
State the aim of computed tomography (CT scanning).
May/June 2021
State how the intensity of the X-ray beam and its hardness are controlled in a modern X-ray tube. intensity: hardness:
May/June 2021
Explain how X-rays are generated for use in medical diagnosis.
May/June 2022
Explain how X-rays are produced for use in medical diagnosis.
May/June 2022
An X-ray tube is used to produce X-rays for medical diagnosis. Within the X-ray tube, charged particles are accelerated to a metal target by an applied potential difference (p.d.).
May/June 2023
Two metal plates, X and Y, are arranged parallel to one another and are $0.041\,\text{m}$ apart, as illustrated in Fig. 6.1. The space between them is a vacuum. An electron starts from rest at the middle of plate X. When a potential difference (p.d.) of $58\,\text{kV}$ is applied across the plates, the electron accelerates towards plate Y.
May/June 2025
Figure 11.1 shows the linear attenuation (absorption) coefficient $\mu$ for X-ray radiation in bone, fat and muscle.
Oct/Nov 2010
State, in relation to X-ray images, what sharpness means.
Oct/Nov 2010
Distinguish, in X-ray imaging, how sharpness differs from contrast. sharpness: contrast:
Oct/Nov 2011
Outline the principles underlying CT scanning.
Oct/Nov 2012
Outline the principles used in CT scanning.
Oct/Nov 2012
A basic representation of one part of a CT scan is shown in Fig. 10.1. The model contains four voxels, labelled by pixel numbers A, B, C and D. In this model, the voxels are examined one after another from four separate directions $D_1$, $D_2$, $D_3$ and $D_4$, as indicated in Fig. 10.2. The pixel readings in each of the four directions are recorded. The sum of the pixel readings for any single direction is $19$. The readings from every direction are added together to produce the pattern shown in Fig. 10.3.
Oct/Nov 2012
When X-rays are used to diagnose illness, the patient receives a larger radiation dose. Explain why
Oct/Nov 2014
Explain why the use of X-rays for medical diagnosis leads to greater radiation exposure for the patient.
Oct/Nov 2014
Explain what is meant by the sharpness and by the contrast of an X-ray image.
Oct/Nov 2015
What is meant by the sharpness of an X-ray image and by its contrast?
Oct/Nov 2015
An X-ray source is positioned on one side of a metal plate, as Fig. 11.1 shows. The intensity of the X-ray beam is then measured at points A and B.
Oct/Nov 2015
Outline the underlying principles of computed tomography (CT scanning).
Oct/Nov 2016
In computed tomography (CT scanning), a large number of X-ray images must be recorded. Outline briefly the principles of CT scanning.
Oct/Nov 2017
In computed tomography (CT scanning), a large number of X-ray images must be collected. Briefly outline the principles of CT scanning.
Oct/Nov 2017
The root-mean-square (r.m.s.) voltage of a sinusoidal alternating supply is $9.9\,\text{V}$. Its frequency is $50\,\text{Hz}$. Derive an expression for how the potential difference $V$ (in volt) varies with time $t$ (in second) for the supply.
Oct/Nov 2018
Describe how computed tomography (CT) scanning works.
Oct/Nov 2019
Outline briefly the principles of computed tomography (CT scanning).
Oct/Nov 2020
Electrons in a beam move at high speed through a vacuum. They strike a metal target, which leads to the emission of X-ray radiation. Fig. 7.1 shows how the intensity I of the emitted X-ray radiation varies with wavelength $\lambda$.
Oct/Nov 2020
Outline briefly how computed tomography (CT scanning) works.
Oct/Nov 2020
State, for an X-ray image, what sharpness means.
Oct/Nov 2021
State, for an X-ray image, what sharpness means.
Oct/Nov 2021
Ultrasound and X-rays are two kinds of wave used in medical diagnosis to create images of structures inside the body.
Oct/Nov 2023
Ultrasound and X-rays are both wave types used in medical diagnosis to create images of structures inside the body.
Oct/Nov 2023
X-rays with intensity $I_0$ fall normally onto the structure shown in Fig. 10.1. Material P has a linear attenuation coefficient of $0.35\,\mathrm{cm^{-1}}$. The X-rays leaving the structure in region A have intensity $0.053I_0$.
Oct/Nov 2025