Physics › Section U · Quantum and atomic physics › Topic U.6
X rays and uses of atomic excitations
Knock an inner electron out of a heavy atom and it answers with an X-ray; excite outer electrons in the right way and they answer with fluorescent colours or laser light. Hospital scanners, crystal structures, highlighter pens and supermarket barcode readers all rest on the same energy levels.
In this topic
- A ray that sees through skin
- How an X-ray tube works
- The short-wavelength cutoff
- Worked example: a medical X-ray tube
- Characteristic X rays
- Worked example: copper's Kα line
- X rays at work
- Fluorescence and phosphorescence
- Lasers
- Worked example: the helium-neon laser
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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