X-ray radiation

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    X-rays are located at the high frequency, short wavelength end of the electromagnetic spectrum.  X-rays are generally characterized as electromagnetic waves with a wavelength between 0.03 and 3 nanometers, around the size of the diameter of an atom.  They travel along a very straight path from their source because there is very little refraction or diffraction for waves of such small wavelengths.

x-rays and the electromagnetic spectrum

X-rays carry energy

    X-rays carry large amounts of energy.  The highest energy x-rays, those carrying more than 10 keV of energy, are referred to as hard x-rays, while x-rays with less than 10 keV are called soft x-rays.  On Earth, we perceive a large amount of our sun’s radiation as light and heat (infrared electromagnetic radiation).  In addition, the sun’s corona gives off a large amount of electromagnetic waves in the range of x-rays, but most are blocked by the Earth’s atmosphere.