Cambridge International A Level Physics

Answers to self-assessment questions

Answers to SAQs
Chapter 32

9 Breathing causes movement of the body so

that organs or bones of interest may move in
the X-ray beam as the image is processed.

1 a
Electrical energy from power supply is
transferred to energy of electron beam (100%).
10
Energy of electron beam is transferred to
internal energy of the anode (~99%) and
energy of X-ray photons (~1%).
b Energy = qV = 80keV = 800001.61019
= 1.281014J 1.31014J
Impact speed is given by rearranging kinetic
energy Ek = 12 mv2 to give
14
11

a
v = 2Ek = 21.310 = 1.69108ms1

m 9.110

31

1.7108ms1

Rearrange speed v = f to give wavelength

= vf = 5700 6 = 2.7103m (2.7mm)
2.110

2 Photon energy E = hc
= Ve 34
8
6.6310 3.010
Wavelength =hc
Ve = 1201031.61019

b 1.35103m 1.4mm
12

= 1.041011m 1.01011m

The skull has bone all round. In a

conventional X-ray, the beam must pass
through both sides of the skull and this
makes it difficult to see the inner tissue. In
a CAT scan, the inner tissue shows up more
clearly and any damage to the skull bones
can be pinpointed accurately.

3 When x=x1/2 the intensity has dropped to

halfits initial value. Hence I=I0ex becomes
x1/2
I
. Taking logs of both sides gives
2 =I0e
ln() = x1/2 or ln2 = x1/2. Rearranging gives
x1/2= ln(2/).
400 = 8.0105Wm2
4 Intensity = PA = 0.0005

13

Z = c = 1075 1590 = 1.71 106kgm2s1

14

2
2
Ir
3
(Z2Z1)
(1.341.50)
=
(0.32%)
2 =
2 = 3.210
I0
(Z2+Z1)
(1.34+1.50)

15

There is a big change in acoustic impedance

when ultrasound passes from fluid into skin,
and from tissue into bone. These surfaces
therefore give strong reflections. Other
soft tissues have similar values of acoustic
impedance and so reflections are very weak.

16

The brain is surrounded by solid bone which

reflects ultrasound. Little penetrates the
brain and hence the signal is very weak. An
alternative is a CT scan.

17

15400.03410
Distance = ct
2 =
2

= 0.026m (26mm)

18

X-rays are ionising radiation and hence are

damaging to the fetus. Ultrasound carries
very little risk because it is not a form of
ionising radiation. (The intensity used must
not cause heating of the babys tissues.)

5 Intensity I=I0ex = 50e(1.25.0) = 0.12Wm2

6 The grid absorbs scattered X-rays, which
would otherwise cloud the image.
7 Consider the ratio of attenuation coefficients
bone:muscle. This is approximately 6 for
50keV X-rays, so bone is a much better
absorber at this energy than is muscle. At
4.0MeV, the ratio is less than 2, so bone and
muscle will not appear very different on the
image. (You could also calculate the fraction
of X-rays absorbed by, say, 1cm of tissue. At
4.0MeV, only a small fraction is absorbed,
so the X-ray image will be flooded with
unabsorbed X-rays.)
Z

8 The ratio Z bone 2. Since attenuation

softtissue
m
coefficient Z3, the ratio m bone = 23 = 8.

a Mechanical to electrical
b Electrical to mechanical
c Mechanical to electrical
d Electrical to mechanical

softtissue

Cambridge International AS and A Level Physics Cambridge University Press 2014

Cambridge International A Level Physics

19

Answers to self-assessment questions

a Rearrange f0 = 20 to give gyromagnetic ratio
2f

= 2.68108HzT1
= B 0 = 242.610
1.0
0
B

For a field of 2.5T, f0 = 20

8
2.5 = 106.5MHz
= 2.6810
2
b This is also their resonant frequency
(106.5MHz).

Amplitude

20

watery tissue
fatty

21

cancerous
0

Time

a MRI uses non-ionising RF electromagnetic
radiation, whereas CAT scanning uses X-rays,
which are a form of ionising radiation.
b CAT scans show up bone, which is poorly
imaged by MRI.
c The patients body does not have to be cut
open, nor do any instruments have to be
inserted into the body.

Cambridge International AS and A Level Physics Cambridge University Press 2014