Question

In an x-ray tube, the maximum photon energy is given by hf=qV. Would it be technically more correct to say hf=qV+BE, where BE is the binding energy of electrons in the target anode? Why isn’t the energy stated the latter way?

a) Yes, it is more correct; it accounts for electron binding energy.

b) No, it is not more correct; binding energy is negligible.

c) Including binding energy is unnecessary for accurate calculations.

d) Binding energy is irrelevant in the con of x-ray tube operation.

Answer 1

The statement hf = qV represents the maximum photon energy in an x-ray tube. It would be more correct to include the binding energy of electrons in the target anode, but it is often neglected in calculations due to its negligible impact.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement hf = qV represents the maximum photon energy in an x-ray tube, where hf is the energy of the photon, q is the charge of the electron, and V is the accelerating voltage. It would be technically more correct to say hf = qV + BE, where BE is the binding energy of electrons in the target anode, as it accounts for the energy required to remove electrons from the target material. However, the energy is typically not stated in this way because the binding energy is often negligible compared to the energy provided by the accelerating voltage, making it unnecessary for accurate calculations.