X Rays preventing Sickness

By : Gagandeep Gujar

What are X rays?

X rays are a form of

electromagnetic radiation and just like any other kinds of waves on the electromagnetic spectrum, they allow you to see everyday objects through new eye.

The Discovery
X-rays were discovered by a German physicist named Wilhelm Roentgen in 1895.

He was experimenting one day in his laboratory when he stumbled upon something so amazing he was unsure if it was actually real

Although many books state that Wilhelm was the first person to see the effects of X rays, A.W. Goodspeed was actually the first person to make this discovery, on February 22, 1890, a good five years before the reported discovery date by Roentgen.

How does it work?

1. X-rays were found to be able to penetrate through materials of light atoms like flesh. 2. The heavier atoms like metal absorb them. 3. A beam of high energy electrons crashes into a metal target and x-rays are produced. 4. A filter near the x-ray source blocks the low energy rays so only the high energy rays pass through a patient toward a sheet of film. 5. Along with the sheet of film, a second sheet of film prevents the scattered x-rays from

fogging the picture. (Calcium in bones is considered a type of metal and when
photographic film is placed on the body, this allows the technician to take the picture and an x-ray is developed to solve or analyze the problem.) These rays were found to be harmful to the skin and soon new ways of medical imagers were developed.

What do we use them for?

before the x-rays were found helpful they were used in radiation treatment
to look at bones that could have a stress fracture or be broken

to see something in the body that could have been swallowed

to see the image of a gun-shot wound such as a bullet that entered the body

to examine teeth

to scan baggage at the airport

to look at gallstones

X ray Uses (IN A NUTSHELL)

X-rays have been used over the years for multiple purposes such as:
Space Exploration
Astronomy

Medical inquiries
Technology

Scientific experiments
Lighting for houses

Production of X-rays
An important source of X rays is synchrotron radiation.

X rays are also produced in a highly evacuated glass bulb

called an X-ray tube

It contains essentially two electrodes (a part made of platinum (Pt), tungsten (W), or another heavy metal of

high melting point, and a cathode.)

- A cathode is an electrode through which electric current flows out of a polarized electrical device

X-rays in Dentistry
X-rays help dentists diagnose relatively common disorders such as : 1. Cavities 2. Periodontal disease 3. Infections Without this ability to see inside a tooth and beneath the gums, more disease would go unchecked, patients would experience more pain and discomfort and more teeth would be lost because proper treatment couldn't be started in time.

X-ray uses in the Past

X ray hair removal (now banned by FDA)

X ray fine art photography X ray photoelectron spectroscopy is a chemical analysis technique relying on the photoelectric effect, usually employed in surface science Industrial radiography uses X-rays for inspection of industrial parts, particularly welds.

X ray Safety
X-rays are safe when used with care and radiologists and x-ray technologists have been trained to use the minimum amount of radiation necessary to obtain the needed results. Properly conducted imaging carries minimal risks and should be performed when clinically indicated. The amount of radiation used in most examinations is very small and the benefits greatly outweigh the risk of harm. X-rays are produced only when a switch is momentarily turned on. As with visible light, no radiation remains after the switch is turned off

How they prevent sickness

Now what X rays do to prevent sickness is that they use those rays to see within your body and those images are then amplified on a screen where they are observed and evaluated which can then determine the cause of the sickness Also, those rays are transported/used through out the area which can track not only what the sickness is, but also its origin and past.

Therefore the help prevent such sicknesses for when we observe the results of the images of our bodies, we act according to that in which case the doctor would be able to clearly assist us.

Why were X-ray machines first created?

The X-ray was accidentally invented when Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen, a physics professor at Bavaria, placed his hand in the path of the rays and saw an image of the bones of his hand on the screen.
So from then on, these findings had made Wilhelm very rich which allowed him to further develop the x-rays and allow world-wide doctors to have access to such a device From then on, the medical procedures that have taken place since then have clearly notified the world for the increase in modern technology of our generation.

Background of creator
Birth name : Wilhelm Conrad Rntgen Born on March 27th, 1845 Born into a poor family Expelled from school for not revealing identity of a professor offender Graduated university with a PHD in mechanical engineering Nobel prize winner of Physics in 1901

Advancement of X-rays

1900

1930

1960

1990

1970

How many lives did we save?

Well, the number was an approximate for the amount of times X-rays have been used is in the trillions. Billions were saved from disease Billions were saved of discomfort Billions were saved of anthropogenic causes The list goes on but if they were all added together, the number would be around 4 billion people!

Bibliography
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