Why does silver have lower absorption than zirconium at 35 keV?

In summary, the linear attenuation coefficient generally increases with atomic number, but the case of silver and zirconium shows that absorption edges play a role in this relationship. Despite having a higher atomic number, silver had a lower attenuation coefficient than zirconium due to the shape of their respective K absorption edges. This explains the unexpected results observed at 35 keV in the study of x-ray absorption on different materials.
  • #1
Myrddin
25
0
so just about finishing a report on x ray abosprtion on different materials, generally the linear attneuation coefficent increases with atominc number Z. However silver(47) had a lower attenuation coefficent then zirconium(40) despite having the significantly higher value of Z.

With some reading found that the absorption edges ;where there is a rapid increase in absorption from photon matching the binding of a shell, depends on the energy of the x ray your using. So we thought this must explain our result with silver. Looking at the K shell :

Zirconium has Kedge absortpion at 18KeV
Silver has kedge absorption 25 KeV

Our supply voltage was 35Kv---> 35KeV , so why does zircmonium have more absortion?
 
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  • #2
The answer lies in the fact that (K) edges of zirconium and silver have different shapes. The K edge of silver has a very sharp rise at 25 keV, but then a gradual decrease as energy increases. So even though the absorption was lower for silver than for zirconium at 25 keV, it still had more absorption at 35 keV due to its gradual decrease in absorption. Thus, the higher atomic number of silver did not necessarily lead to it having a higher linear attenuation coefficient than zirconium.
 

Related to Why does silver have lower absorption than zirconium at 35 keV?

1. What is X ray absorption?

X ray absorption is the process in which X rays pass through a material and lose energy as they interact with the atoms in the material. This results in a decrease in the intensity of the X rays that pass through the material.

2. How does X ray absorption help explain the structure of molecules?

X ray absorption can be used to determine the atomic and molecular structure of a material. When X rays are absorbed by a material, the location and energy of the absorption can provide information about the arrangement of atoms and molecules within the material.

3. What is the role of X ray absorption in medical imaging?

X ray absorption is the basis for X ray imaging techniques such as X ray radiography and computed tomography (CT) scans. In these techniques, X rays are absorbed by different tissues in the body, allowing for the creation of images that can reveal abnormalities or injuries.

4. How is X ray absorption affected by different materials?

X ray absorption is dependent on the atomic structure and density of a material. Materials with higher atomic numbers and densities will absorb more X rays, while materials with lower atomic numbers and densities will absorb less. This property is used in X ray imaging to distinguish between different types of tissues in the body.

5. Can X ray absorption be used for material analysis?

Yes, X ray absorption is commonly used in material analysis techniques such as X ray fluorescence and X ray diffraction. These techniques use the absorption of X rays to identify the elemental composition and crystal structure of a material.

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