Which term correctly describes the radiation produced when high-energy electrons are decelerated by the nucleus' electric field?

Which term correctly describes the radiation produced when high-energy electrons are decelerated by the nucleus' electric field?

• A. Characteristic Radiation
• B. Bremsstrahlung Radiation
• C. Scatter Radiation
• D. Discrete Radiation

Answer: (B)

The radiation produced when high-energy electrons are slowed down by the electric field of the nucleus is Bremsstrahlung radiation. In an X-ray tube, fast electrons approach the target atoms and pass near the nucleus. The strong positive field of the nucleus causes the electrons to lose speed and bend their path. That change in velocity emits a photon. Because the deceleration can vary continuously as the electron interacts with the nucleus, the emitted photons cover a broad, continuous range of energies rather than discrete lines. This Bremsstrahlung component is a major source of X-ray photons in the tube. Characteristic radiation, by contrast, comes from electrons dropping between fixed atomic energy levels after inner-shell ionization, producing photons with specific energies. Scatter radiation refers to photons that have already been emitted being deflected by matter, not from decelerating electrons. Discrete radiation isn’t a term used to describe this process.

The radiation produced when high-energy electrons are slowed down by the electric field of the nucleus is Bremsstrahlung radiation. In an X-ray tube, fast electrons approach the target atoms and pass near the nucleus. The strong positive field of the nucleus causes the electrons to lose speed and bend their path. That change in velocity emits a photon. Because the deceleration can vary continuously as the electron interacts with the nucleus, the emitted photons cover a broad, continuous range of energies rather than discrete lines. This Bremsstrahlung component is a major source of X-ray photons in the tube.

Characteristic radiation, by contrast, comes from electrons dropping between fixed atomic energy levels after inner-shell ionization, producing photons with specific energies. Scatter radiation refers to photons that have already been emitted being deflected by matter, not from decelerating electrons. Discrete radiation isn’t a term used to describe this process.