What is the transfer of some or all X-ray photon energy to material called?

• A. Absorption
• B. Absorbed Dose
• C. Attenuation
• D. Artifact

Answer: (A)

Absorption is the process by which an X-ray photon transfers part or all of its energy to the atoms in the material, often by ionization or excitation. This energy transfer reduces the photon’s ability to continue on and contributes to the attenuation of the beam as it passes through tissue. The amount of energy actually deposited per unit mass is called the absorbed dose, which is related but a separate measure from the process itself. Attenuation, more broadly, describes the overall reduction in beam intensity due to both absorption and scattering, whereas artifacts are distortions in the image from technical issues. So the transfer of energy to the material in this context is absorption.