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Atoms Happens!!!
By Chris Correll.
Learning Objectives: Atoms and X-ray’s
In this article you will:
Be able to describe atoms as solids, liquids, and gases.
Be able to describe how x-ray atom’s are formed.
Figure 1. Simplest model of an
atom. Photo By Howstuffworks.
Atoms are everywhere…atoms are inside our bodies, in all objects, in
the air we breathe, even the water we drink, and now we use atoms to
generate x-rays. In physics, the best description of an atom is at least one
or a collection of electrons with one nucleus at its center. The first formulated idea of an atom was by the natural Greek philosopher named Democritus (494-404 B.C.), in 530 B.C. 1 Atoms are amazing molecules
such as, how these atom’s become either ionic-ly, weak intermolecular-ly
or covalent-ly (shared) bonded together to form solids, liquids, or gases.
Next, when atoms are excited by a medium then those x-ray electrons
will emit various colors of light, emit varying degrees of heat, and emit
varying gamma wave frequencies when struck by other electrons within
its orbital sphere. In a solid, electrons are electrically held together in a
lattice configuration to form a solid shape. The liquid atoms are not
closely packed together as in a solid form and tend to vibrate causing friction that results in heat. So, the hotter the liquid signifies the faster the
atoms vibrate and the colder the liquid suggests slower vibrational movements emitted from the atoms.
After that, gas atoms are largely spread out and act randomly, these
atoms still vibrate as well as rotate and transform like the latter atoms. 2
How x-ray atoms are discharged into the air, especially by ways of x-ray
devices? Atoms are made up of a nucleus, which contains a positive
charge (protons) and a neutral charge (neutrons) as well as previously
discussed a negative charge (electrons). While an electron lives in an energy shell greater than its ground state (all electrons of the atom in lowest
energy state and does not mean closer to the center only that the energy
of the atom is lower), it is in an agitated (excited) state.
Figure 2. Solids packed closely
together, liquids spread out but
not to far away, and gases are
spread out completely transforming at random. Photo By C.W.
Post
The energy state of the excited state atom is now slightly increased until the electron emits a photon of energy and returns to ground state. How
did the electron get exited in a first place? A passing photon or atom gave
the electron the required energy to go up a level. The electron becomes
excited if it absorbs a photon or accidentally collides with a nearby atom. 3
After that happens, light, heat, energy, wavelengths (gamma radiation) is
emitted from that impact of those atoms. As a result, x-rays atoms are
generated inside the x-ray tube then collimated through an…(Continued)