X-ray: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

Nov. 8, 2026

News •

Laser-plasma accelerator could generate bright X-rays for biological imaging, simulations show • Nov. 5, 2026, 7:00 PM ET (Phys.org)

Scientists just broke a textbook rule of physics • Oct. 28, 2026, 11:40 PM ET (Science Daily)

Single X-ray pulse reveals plasma nanostructures across scales with one camera • Oct. 24, 2026, 3:00 AM ET (Phys.org)

Researchers Unleash Record-Breaking X-Ray Flashes in Just 300 Attoseconds • Oct. 19, 2026, 7:01 AM ET (SciTechDaily)

Facts

Also Known As	Röntgen radiation • X-radiation

Photos and Videos

Diagram of the electromagnetic spectrum showing different types of waves arranged by wavelength and frequency, from gamma rays and X-rays to ultraviolet, visible light, infrared, microwave, TV/FM radio, shortwave radio, AM radio, and longwave radio.

X-ray of coronary artery

osteogenesis imperfecta

Medical image showing a detailed view of healthy human lungs, highlighting the trachea, bronchi, and branching bronchioles within the chest.

A diagram showing an X-ray photon colliding with an electron, causing the electron to scatter and the photon to emerge with a longer wavelength, illustrating the Compton effect.

Figure 1: The electromagnetic spectrum.

How does a particle accelerator work?

The environmental effects of nuclear radiation

Understand how the electromagnetic spectrum helps study the celestial bodies

See All Videos and Images →

Topics

continuous X ray hard X ray secondary X ray soft X ray particle-induced X-ray emission X-ray optics Today in History—November 8: X-Rays Seen for the First Time Cosmic X-ray background bremsstrahlung X-ray fluorescence light gamma ray ultraviolet radiation spectrum Solar radiation infrared radiation radio wave microwave spectroscopy luminescence

Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

Key People

Marie Curie

Marie Curie

Polish-born French physicist

default image

Walter Bradford Cannon

American neurologist and physiologist

default image

Hermann Joseph Muller

American geneticist

Arthur Holly Compton

Arthur Holly Compton

American physicist

default image

Norman Robert Campbell

British physicist and philosopher

Giacconi, Riccardo

Riccardo Giacconi

Italian physicist

German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen

Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen

German physicist

default image

Karl Manne Georg Siegbahn

Swedish physicist

default image

Silvanus Phillips Thompson

British physicist and historian

default image

Maurice, 6 duke de Broglie

French physicist

Barkla, Charles Glover

Charles Glover Barkla

British physicist

default image

Hendrik Anthony Kramers

Dutch physicist

Model of a molecule. Atom, Biology, Molecular Structure, Science, Science and Technology. Homepage 2010 arts and entertainment, history and society

Science Quiz

36 Questions from Britannica’s Most Popular Science Quizzes

Hand washing. Healthcare worker washing hands in hospital sink under running water. contagious diseases wash hands, handwashing hygiene, virus, human health

Medical Conditions and Discoveries Quiz