X-Ray Tube | The Franklin Institute

Like light and radio waves, x-rays are a type of electromagnetic radiation—oscillating electric and magnetic fields traveling at the speed of light. Their ... Jumptonavigation TheFranklinInstitute Menu TheFranklinInstituteisclosedonSaturday,January1,forNewYear'sDay.Themuseumreopensat10amonSunday,January2. Masksarerequiredforunvaccinatedandfullyvaccinatedguestsages3+. ProofofvaccinationisnotrequiredtovisitTheFranklinInstitute. BeginningJanuary3,2022,allguestsenteringoureaterywillneedtoshowproofofvaccination,perthecity’sindoordiningvaccinemandate.Learnmore. X-RayTube Haveyoueverbrokenanarm,leg,orhandandhadtowearacast?Orneededtogotothehospitaltoseeifyourhurtinganklewasfracturedorsprained?Ifso,we'rewillingtoassumeyouhavecomeincontactwithanx-raymachine.Likelightandradiowaves,x-raysareatypeofelectromagneticradiation—oscillatingelectricandmagneticfieldstravelingatthespeedoflight.Theirusefulnessliesintheirabilitytopenetratematter.X-rayshavethepowertopenetratematterbecauseoftheirrelativelyshortwavelengthsandhighenergy.Theshorterthewavelengthandthehighertheenergyofanx-ray,thedeeperitsabilitytopenetrate.AmannamedWilhelmKonardRoentgendiscoveredthex-rayin1895.HebeganhisexperimentsattheUniversityofWurzburgwithanelectriccurrentflowinapartiallyevacuatedglasstube(knownasacathode-raytube).Roentgennoticedthat,wheneverthetubewasinoperation,apieceofbariumplatinocyanideinlinewithitgaveofflight.Roentgentheorizedthattheinteractionofelectronsstrikingthetube'sglasswallformedanunknownradiationthatcausedthefluorescence.Roentgencouldnotdeterminehowtheradiationwascarriedthroughspaceorwhyithadsuchpenetratingpower.Forthisreasonhecalledtheradiationx-rays,takingthenamefromthemathematician'suseof`x'todenotetheunknownquantityinaproblem.TheformalnamegiventheradiationisRoentgenrays,inhonorofthediscoverer.RoentgenreceivedanElliottCressonMedalfromTheFranklinInstituteinNovemberof1896forhisx-raywork. CenterviewoftheX-RayTube. TopviewoftheX-RayTube. Close-upviewoftheanode. Furtherexperimentsrevealedthatx-radiationproducesanimageonphotographicplatesandpenetratesmanymaterialssuchaspaper,wood,certainmetals,andlivingtissue.Forthefirsttime,physicianshadanon-surgicaltooltoseeinsidethebody.Themedicalandscientificusesofx-raysspreadquicklythroughoutEuropeandtheUnitedStatesduringthistime.Inthe20thcentury,Dr.WilliamD.Coolidge,aGeneralElectricscientistandresearchdirector,mademajorcontributionstolightingandx-raytechnology.Earlyinhiscareer,Coolidgeplayedalargepartinthedevelopmentofthemodernincandescentelectriclamp.In1910,GEannouncedhisdevelopmentofductiletungsten,thefilamentmaterialstillusedinbillionsofincandescentelectriclampstoday.Byheatingbulktungsten,Coolidgewasabletodrawthemetalintofinewiresasstrongassteelandthinenoughtobeusedaslampfilaments.In1913,his"Coolidgetube,"completelyrevolutionizedx-raysanditstillremainsthemodelthatx-raytubesformedicalpurposesarepatternedafter.Coolidge'smachineallowedx-raywavestobeeasilyproducedbytheimpactofhigh-energyelectronsonatungstenanodewithinavacuumtube,andthentobedirectedthroughasubstanceandontoaphotographicplate.HetookRoentgen'sdiscoveryofx-raysafewstepsfurtherbycreatingthisvacuumtubeinwhichtherayscouldbegenerated.Densermaterialswithinthesubstancebeingscannedabsorbmorex-rays(suchasthebonesinyourbody),andsoproduceabrighterphotographicimageontheplate.X-rayshavebecomeveryimportant,forexampleinthemedicalfield.Theirusehasmadeanincrediblecontributiontohumanhealth.Surgicaltherapy,treatmentofbonefractures,locationofvariouscancers,internaldiseases,andmalformations—allarepossiblewiththeuseofx-rays,andhaveresultedinalleviatingpainandsavinglivesonalargescale.Justbecarefulwhenyouhoponyourbikeordiveoffadivingboardduringyourvacation;theonlyrayoflightyoushouldexperiencethissummeristhesun!Note:TheobjectpicturedaboveispartofTheFranklinInstitute'sprotectedcollectionofobjects.Theimagesare©TheFranklinInstitute.Allrightsarereserved. ScienceandTechnologyCollection ConnectWithUs JoinOurEmailList ByvisitingTheFranklinInstitute,theguestvoluntarilyassumesallrisksrelatedtopotentialexposuretoCOVID-19inoraboutTheFranklinInstitute.Learnmoreaboutourcommitmenttosafety. TheFranklinInstituteisa501(C)(3)nonprofitregisteredintheU.S.underEIN: 23-1370501.