Final answer:
CRT televisions use a 30-kV accelerating potential, which is lower than the voltages typically used in x-ray production. While low-level x-ray production in a CRT could occur, it would not be significant enough to be considered a health concern or to require shielding.
Step-by-step explanation:
Older cathode-ray tube (CRT) television screens operate by accelerating electrons using an approximately 30-kV potential, and when these electrons strike the phosphors on the screen, they produce the visible images. However, when asking if one would expect x-rays to also be created in this process, it's helpful to understand the conditions under which x-rays are generated. X-rays are typically produced in an x-ray tube when high-energy electrons strike a metal target. These high-energy electrons can knock inner shell electrons out of atoms in the target, and subsequent replacement of these electrons by higher shell electrons results in x-ray emission.
In the case of the CRT, the energy of the electrons accelerating toward the screen is significantly lower than the energies typically used for x-ray production in medical imaging or industrial applications, which can range from 50 kV to 150 kV or higher. Therefore, while there might be some extremely low-level x-ray production due to the high-voltage acceleration of electrons in a CRT, the level would not be significant enough to be a health concern or require x-ray shielding in a consumer television set. High-energy x-ray photons require a heavier metal target (like tungsten) and higher accelerating voltages than what CRTs are equipped with.