X-ray

Introduction
Fundamental characteristics
- Wave nature
- Particle nature
Applications
Production and detection of X-rays
- Production of X-rays
- Detection of X-rays

References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images & 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.

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.

At a Glance

X-ray summary

Quizzes

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

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36 Questions from Britannica’s Most Popular Science Quizzes

Related Questions

How are X-rays produced in an X-ray tube?
How are X-rays used to detect broken bones?
How are X-rays used to find dental cavities?
How are X-rays used to inspect airline baggage?
How are characteristic X-rays produced by atoms?
How can X-ray exposure damage cells and DNA?
How can X-ray fluorescence identify the elements in a material?
How can X-rays help analyze paintings and other works of art?
How can gas falling toward a neutron star or black hole generate X-rays?
How did Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen discover X-rays?
How did X-ray crystallography contribute to the discovery of DNA’s double-helix structure?
How do X-ray binary stars produce such powerful X-ray emissions?
How do X-rays differ from gamma rays?
How do X-rays differ from visible light?
How does X-ray diffraction reveal the structure of a crystal?
How does X-ray radiation therapy destroy cancer cells?
How does a CT scan differ from a conventional X-ray image?
How does a CT scanner create cross-sectional images of the body?
How does bremsstrahlung produce X-rays?
How fast do X-rays travel in a vacuum?
What determines the contrast in a medical X-ray image?
What did Röntgen observe on a barium platinocyanide screen during his experiment?
What did one of the first X-ray photographs show?
Where do X-rays fit within the electromagnetic spectrum?
Who discovered X-rays in 1895?
Why are crystals useful for diffracting X-rays?
Why are soft X-rays useful for studying biological materials in water?
Why can CT scans show internal organs more clearly than standard X-rays?
Why can X-rays pass through human soft tissue?
Why can healthy cells near an X-ray treatment area often recover better than cancer cells?
Why can large doses of X-rays increase the risk of cancer?
Why did Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen receive the 1901 Nobel Prize in Physics?
Why do bones appear more clearly than soft tissue in an X-ray image?
Why does the Sun emit X-rays from its corona?
Why is X-ray inspection considered a nondestructive testing method?
Why is a vacuum used inside an X-ray tube?
Why must X-ray telescopes be placed above Earth’s atmosphere?
How are gamma rays produced?
Why is light important for life on Earth?

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External Websites

Better Health Channel - X-ray examinations
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National Institue of Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering - X-rays
National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - A new paper-based approach for teaching BraggÂ’s law
Australian Government - ARPANSA - X-rays
Healthdirect - X-rays
Mayo Clinic - X-ray
National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - X-ray Imaging
NASA - Chandra X-ray Observatory - The Science of X-ray Technology
MSD Manual - Consumer Version - X-Rays
Live Science - What are X-Rays?
Cleveland Clinic - X-Ray

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Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

X-rays - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
X ray - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

X-ray

radiation beam

Also known as: Röntgen radiation, X-radiation

Written by

Glenn Stark

Professor of Physics, Wellesley College, Massachusetts, U.S.

Glenn Stark

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Nov. 8, 2026 •History

X-ray, electromagnetic radiation of extremely short wavelength and high frequency, with wavelengths ranging from about 10⁻⁸ to 10⁻¹² metre and corresponding frequencies from about 10¹⁶ to 10²⁰ hertz (Hz). X-rays are commonly produced by accelerating (or decelerating) charged particles; examples include a beam of electrons striking a metal plate in an X-ray tube and a circulating beam of electrons in a synchrotron particle accelerator or storage ring. In addition, highly excited atoms can emit X-rays...

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