- X-Rays-0.mp3
- X-Rays-0.mp4
- X-Rays-I.mp3
- X-Rays-I.mp4
- X-Rays-Unplugged-Underground-XIV.mp3
- X-Rays-Unplugged-Underground-XIV.mp4
- X-Rays-Unplugged.mp3
- X-Rays-Unplugged.mp4
- X-Rays-intro.mp3
[Intro]
From astronomy
To anatomy
Penetrate what’s soft
Illustrate aloft
[Verse 1]
High-energy
(Short-wavelength)
Pry into what I see
(Superhero strength)
[Chorus]
From astronomy
To anatomy
100,000 e V
High intensity
[Bridge]
Look right this way
(X-ray)
Come and save the day
(X-ray)
O.K.
[Verse 2]
30 petahertz
(to 30 exahertz)
Imagining
(Diagnostic imaging)
[Chorus]
From astronomy
To anatomy
100,000 e V
High intensity
[Bridge]
Look right this way
(X-ray)
Come and save the day
(X-ray)
O.K.
[Chorus]
From astronomy
To anatomy
100,000 e V
High intensity
[Outro]
Hooray, hooray
(X-ray)
A SCIENCE NOTE
X-rays fall in the high-energy, short-wavelength portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, positioned between ultraviolet (UV) light and gamma rays.
Position in the Electromagnetic Spectrum (from longest to shortest wavelength):
- Radio waves (longest wavelength, lowest energy)
- Microwaves
- Infrared (IR) light
- Visible light (ROYGBIV – red to violet)
- Ultraviolet (UV) light
- X-rays (short wavelength, high energy)
- Gamma rays (shortest wavelength, highest energy)
Properties of X-rays:
- Wavelength Range: Approximately 0.01 to 10 nanometers (nm)
- Frequency Range: About 30 petahertz (PHz) to 30 exahertz (EHz)
- Energy Range: Typically 100 electron volts (eV) to 100 kiloelectron volts (keV)
Uses of X-rays:
- Medical imaging (e.g., detecting bone fractures, dental X-rays)
- Security scanning (e.g., airport luggage screening)
- Astronomy (e.g., observing cosmic phenomena like black holes)
- Industrial applications (e.g., inspecting materials for structural integrity)
Since X-rays have a higher energy compared to visible light, they can penetrate most soft tissues but are absorbed by denser materials like bone or metal, making them useful in diagnostic imaging and industrial inspection.