| A | B |
|---|
| Density/Exposure | Overall blackness of the image (controlled by mAs). |
| Contrast | Difference in shades of gray (influenced by kVp and tissue type). |
| Detail/Resolution | Sharpness of the image. |
| Distortion | Misrepresentation of size or shape. |
| Magnification | Enlargement caused by increased OID or decreased SID. |
| Attenuation | Reduction of X-ray intensity due to absorption and scatter. |
| Transmission | X-rays pass through tissue without interaction. |
| Compton Scatter | Photon interacts with outer-shell electron, changes direction; main cause of scatter radiation. |
| Photoelectric Effect | Photon is completely absorbed; contributes to patient dose but creates image contrast. |
| Scatter Radiation | Deflected radiation that can degrade image quality and increase exposure. |
| Remnant Radiation | X-rays that pass through the patient and form the image. |
| Primary Beam | Useful beam of X-rays exiting the tube. |
| Filtration | Removes low-energy (soft) X-rays from the beam. |
| Target/Focal Spot | Area of anode where X-rays are produced. |
| Photon | A packet (quantum) of electromagnetic energy (X-ray photon). |
| Frequency (ν) | Number of waves per second; higher frequency = higher energy. |
| Wavelength (λ) | Distance between wave peaks; shorter wavelength = higher energy. |
| X-rays | High-energy electromagnetic waves with short wavelength and high frequency. |
| Electromagnetic Spectrum | Range of radiation types (radio, visible light, X-rays, gamma). |
| Photoelectric Effect | Photon is completely absorbed; contributes to patient dose but creates image contrast. |
