RHS Radiation Safety Practice Test 2025 - Free Radiation Safety Practice Questions and Study Guide

The speed of the electrons emitted from the tubehead is influenced primarily by the kilovolt peak (kVp) setting. kVp determines the maximum voltage applied across the x-ray tube, which in turn affects the energy of the electrons that are accelerated from the cathode to the anode. A higher kVp results in a greater acceleration of electrons, leading to higher-speed electrons when they collide with the target. This increased speed not only boosts the energy of the x-rays produced but also affects the penetrating power of the resulting x-ray beam, contributing to the overall quality and effectiveness of the x-ray image.

Other factors, such as filtration, impulses, and milliamperage (mA), also play roles in radiation production, but they do not directly control the speed of electrons in the same way kVp does. While filtration can affect the quality of the beam by removing low-energy photons, and mA influences the number of electrons flowing from the cathode to the anode, it is the kVp that primarily determines the kinetic energy and velocity of the electrons emitted.