The energy of X-rays is inversely related to their wavelength.
This means that X-rays with a shorter wavelength have higher energy, and those with a longer wavelength have lower energy.
Because X-rays generally have very short wavelengths, they carry a large amount of energy. This high energy allows them to penetrate materials, interact strongly with atoms, and be useful in applications such as medical imaging, material analysis, and crystallography.
For example:
- Soft X-rays have slightly longer wavelengths, so they are less energetic and penetrate less deeply.
- Hard X-rays have much shorter wavelengths, so they are more energetic and can pass through denser materials.
In short, shorter wavelength = higher energy, longer wavelength = lower energy.