Final answer:
When a grid is added to an x-ray system, the mAs value needs to be increased. For an 8:1 grid, the new mAs value would be 32 mAs.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a grid is added to an x-ray system, the milliampere-seconds (mAs) value needs to be increased to maintain the same image quality. The rule of thumb for adjusting the mAs value when a grid is used is to multiply the original mAs value by the grid conversion factor. For an 8:1 grid, the conversion factor is 4. Therefore, to find the new mAs value, you would multiply the original mAs value (8 mAs) by 4, resulting in a new mAs value of 32 mAs.