How does an X-ray machine work?

The heart of an X-ray machine is an electrode pair -- a cathode and an anode -- that sits inside a glass vacuum tube. The cathode is a heated filament, like you might find in an older fluorescent lamp. The machine passes current through the filament, heating it up. The heat sputters electrons off of the filament surface. read more

An X-ray machine is essentially a camera. Instead of visible light, however, it uses X-rays to expose the film. X-rays are like light in that they are electromagnetic waves, but they are more energetic so they can penetrate many materials to varying degrees. read more

X-ray machines work by generating an electrical current or voltage, which is then projected through an X-ray tube to produce a series of X-ray waves, which either pass through objects or are absorbed by the surrounding material. read more

X-rays can pass through nonmetallic objects, including human tissues and organs. An X-ray machine is like a giant camera that allows doctors to see what is going on inside a patient without having to do surgery. read more