When you receive a chest X–ray at a hospital, the X–rays pass through a series of parallel ribs in your chest. Do the ribs act as a diffraction grating for the X–rays? Why?

No...the spacing between the ribs is too large to act as a diffraction grating.

No...the spacing between the ribs is too large to act as a diffraction grating.

 

They do cause some diffraction although it will be insignificant at the distances encountered in a hospital. you could maybe measure it ove a light year.

They do cause some diffraction although it will be insignificant at the distances encountered in a hospital. you could maybe measure it ove a light year.

 

Good luck detecting a chest x-ray a light year away.

You mean that the diffraction granting cannot take place in a few centimeters?

You mean that the diffraction granting cannot take place in a few centimeters?

 

It can. and technically you are diffracted every time you walk through a door but thats getting complicated.

It can. and technically you are diffracted every time you walk through a door but thats getting complicated.

 

So is acceptable that ribs act as a diffraction grating for the X–rays

yes but not noticably the effect would probably be less than the width of a proton per meter.

 

Heres my views on the question.

 

Technically, yes ribs act as a diffraction grating for x-rays.

practically, no because the effect is immeasurable over the distances yet covered by man in the universe.

So is acceptable that ribs act as a diffraction grating for the X–rays

 

The angle is going to be of order [math]\lambda/a[/math] so if the spacing is not close to the size of the wavelength, it will be hard to detect.

So is acceptable that ribs act as a diffraction grating for the X–rays

 

Technically it is acceptable, but the effect is so small to be undetectable.

The randomness of the surface of the ribs is so large compared to lambda, that there would be no diffraction.