Question

The material used for the exit port of the mammography tube is necessary because

A. the intensity of the beam is less on the anode side than on the cathode side
B. regular glass would harden the emerging beam
C. the intensity of the beam is more on the anode side than on the cathode side
D. regular glass would soften the emerging beam

Answer 1

The material for the exit port of a mammography tube is important to prevent the softening of the X-ray beam by regular glass, allowing high-quality, high-contrast images crucial in medical diagnostics.

Step-by-step explanation:

The material used for the exit port of the mammography tube is necessary because regular glass would attenuate the X-ray beam too much, essentially softening the emerging beam. In physics, the production of X-rays in a tube involves the interaction of high-energy electrons with the anode material, leading to the creation of both bremsstrahlung (braking radiation) and characteristic X-rays. Mammography requires high-quality, high-contrast images for accurate diagnosis, thus the exit port must be made of a material that allows the maximum transmission of the useful X-ray spectrum while minimizing absorption and scatter of the X-rays.