Question

An increase in ________ will result in hardening of an x-ray beam:

1. tissue density
2. tissue thickness
3. kVp

Answer 1

An increase in kVp leads to hardening of an x-ray beam, heightening its penetration ability.

Step-by-step explanation:

An increase in kVp will result in hardening of an x-ray beam. This is because as the x-ray energy increases, particularly the kilovoltage peak (kVp), x-ray photons gain more energy, which in turn increases their ability to penetrate denser materials. The Compton effect comes into play, where the x-ray scatters from an electron shell, raising the energy and penetration depth of the x-ray beam. This effects in less absorption by the material and the x-rays with higher energy less likely to be absorbed by thicker and denser materials.