How do X-Rays Work?

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Chances are you've had an X-ray at some point in your life, but did you know this life-saving technology was actually invented by accident? German physicist Wilhelm Roentgen discovered the technology while he was doing experiments with electron beams and gas discharge tubes – you know, like everyone does...

When performing these tests, he noticed that a fluorescent screen in his lab started to glow green while the electron beams were running. This wasn't surprising in its own right, but Roentgen's screen was shielded by heavy cardboard which he thought would block the radiation.

The interesting part of this discovery was that the initial aspect of Roentgen's discovery was simply the existence of some kind of penetrating radiation, but in trying to figure out what was happening, he actually put his hand in between the screen and the electron beam. This created an image of the bones inside of his hand on the screen, revealing X-ray's perfect use immediately after their discovery.

This double discovery marked arguably one of the most important medical advances in all of human history. It gave professionals the ability to see ailments inside the human body without invasive surgery. It even allowed them to see soft tissues with slight modification.

No one questions that X-rays are important to modern medicine, but most people don't have a great idea of what is actually happening when you get one. Let's figure that out...

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