Radiation Health & SafetyQuestion 16 of 100

Ionization occurs in tissue when:

a.An x-ray photon removes an electron from an atom, leaving a charged particle
b.An atom gains a neutron and becomes heavier
c.Tissue temperature rises above normal body temperature
d.Two atoms bond to form a stable molecule

Explanation

Ionization is the removal of an electron from a neutral atom by an x-ray photon, producing a positively charged ion and a free electron that can damage cell structures. Adding a neutron changes the isotope rather than the charge and is not what x-rays do. Heating tissue and normal chemical bonding are unrelated to the ionizing mechanism of x-radiation.

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