X-Ray Vacuum Tube
Permalink
https://digital.library.illinois.edu/items/a3707c20-0d92-0135-23f6-0050569601ca-f
Copyright Not Evaluated
Descriptive Information
| Title | X-Ray Vacuum Tube |
| Description | A long glass tube with a large spherical center. At one end of the tube is an anode and at the other end is a cathode. |
| Interpretation | X-rays are highly penetrating invisible forms of electromagnetic radiation on the spectrum between ultraviolet and gamma rays. The energy of x-rays is greater than that of visible light. The most notable characteristics of X-rays are their ability to: ionize gases through which they pass, excite fluorescent materials, and pass through numerous solids. X-rays are also recognized for their effect on photographic emulsion. This X-ray tube was produced in 1899. X-rays are produced in a vacuum tube in which the heated cathode discharges electrons that strike an anode made of copper or tungsten. The collision of the electrons with the anode produces X-rays. The type of X-rays emitted from the tube depends on both the temperature of the cathode and the material of the anode. These tubes could be used with an electricity-generating source such as a static machine, a Tesla Coil, or a small induction coil. Wilhelm Roentgen (1845-1923) accidentally discovered X-ray radiation in 1895. He was unable to discover the nature of this radiation and, therefore, called this phenomenon 'X-rays'. Roentgen won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1901 for this discovery. |
| Lesson Plans / Themes | How We Learn About Communities |
| Learning Standards | |
| Author or Creator | Roentgen, Wilhelm, 1845-1923 |
| Source | Abbot, David, ed. Physicists, The Biographical Dictionary of Scientists. New York: Peter Bedrick Books, 1984. Norman Hossa and William B. Sill. New Popular Science Encyclopedia of the Sciences. Baltimore, MD: Ottenmeyer Inc., 1968. |
| Subject / Keywords | |
| Temporal Coverage | 1899/1900 |
| Collection Publisher | Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago |
| Rights | Copyright Not Evaluated |
| Resource Identifier | 30.797 |
| Date Created | 8-19-02 |
| Collection Title | Teaching with Digital Content (Cultural Heritage Community) |
| Collection | Teaching with Digital Content (Cultural Heritage Community) |
Download Options
|
X-Ray Vacuum Tube |