One of the properties associated with X-rays is that they can be deflected by
None of the above
X-rays are not deflected by either field — option 4.
Why. An electric field exerts a force \(F=qE\) and a magnetic field a force \(F=qvB\sin\theta\). Both are proportional to the charge q. X-rays are electromagnetic waves — photons, which are electrically neutral. With q equal to zero, both forces vanish, and the rays travel in straight lines through any field however strong.
| Radiation | Nature | Charge | Deflected by E or B ? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha | Helium nucleus | +2e | Yes — strongly |
| Beta | Electron | −e | Yes — oppositely, and more sharply, being lighter |
| Gamma | Electromagnetic wave | 0 | No |
| X-ray | Electromagnetic wave | 0 | No |
What X-rays are. Discovered by W. C. Röntgen in 1895 — the discovery for which the first Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded in 1901 — they occupy the band of wavelengths between about 0·01 and 10 nanometres, shorter than ultraviolet and longer than gamma rays. They are produced when fast electrons are suddenly stopped by a heavy metal target.
Their real properties. They travel in straight lines at the speed of light; they penetrate matter, the more so the shorter the wavelength and the lower the density of the material; they blacken photographic plates; they ionise gases; they cause fluorescence; and, being waves, they are diffracted by crystals — which is the basis of X-ray crystallography, the technique through which the structure of DNA and of countless proteins was determined.
A note on the distinction from gamma rays. The two overlap in wavelength and differ in origin: X-rays come from transitions of the electrons outside the nucleus or from their deceleration, gamma rays from within the nucleus itself.
Hence, the answer is None of the above.
Similar Questions
Which of the following radiation is used to get relief from body aches ?
Important Questions from Wave
- When a longitudinal wave moves through a certain medium, the quantity which is transmitted through the medium is
- Which one of the following phenomena CANNOT be exhibited by sound waves?
Statement I: Sound waves can travel through vacuum.
Statement II: Light is an electromagnetic wave and can travel through vacuum.$\gamma$-ray consists of:
- For communication, elephants can make noises as loud as 103 decibels but they often use low frequency sound, some of which is passed through the ground. These sounds are called:
