Question

X-rays _____.

are blocked by the ionosphere
are less dangerous than ultraviolet rays
have very long wavelengths
are not emitted by the sun

Answer 1

X-rays are electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths from 0.01 to 20 nanometers, capable of penetrating tissue but not bone, and are more dangerous than ultraviolet rays due to their higher energy which can cause cancer and genetic defects.

Step-by-step explanation:

X-rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths between 0.01 nanometer and 20 nanometers. They have shorter wavelengths and higher frequencies than ultraviolet rays, which means they also transfer greater energy at the atomic level. This higher energy allows X-rays to penetrate soft tissues but not bones, creating images of the bones inside the human body. However, these properties also make X-rays more dangerous than ultraviolet rays as they can induce cancer and genetic defects due to their deep penetrative ability into living cells. X-rays are more energetic than visible light and are capable of penetrating a short length of human flesh, but they are largely stopped by Earth's atmosphere. It's worth noting that X-rays are indeed emitted by the Sun, but like ultraviolet radiation, only a small fraction makes it through the Earth's protective atmospheric layers.

Answer 2

have very long wavelengths

Step-by-step explanation:

The first X-ray image was captured by Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen (1895), who accidentally discovered these rays while experimenting with vacuum tubes. X-rays are high-energy electromagnetic radiation with very long wavelengths (in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, nm). They are shorter in wavelength than ultraviolet rays and longer than gamma rays. X-rays have energies ranging from 100 electron-volts (eVs) to 100 kiloelectron-volts (keVs). On the other hand, the radio waves are blocked by the planet's ionosphere and, therefore, they cannot reach the Earth.