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theCandyman
Jan8-07, 03:34 PM
I'm ignoring the template because I don't think it's appropiate for the help I want.

The problem I'm given:
How many electrons per second strike the target in an X-ray tube operating at a current of 50mA?

First off, if this is an X-ray tube, where are these electrons coming from, the target? And how why is current for photons measured in amperes? I thought there needed to be charge for there to be current.

Dick
Jan8-07, 04:09 PM
First off, maybe you should look up "X ray tube". The electrons are accelerated in the tube then hit a target generating the x-rays. That is the current referred to.

Kurdt
Jan8-07, 04:12 PM
An X-ray tube is basically a discharge tube (i.e. a neon or fluorescent light) with a tungsten plate at one end acting as an annode. Electrons travel across a vacuum with high energy and excite tungsten atoms which then emit X-rays when they return to ground level. This question therefore has nothing to do with X-rays but is mainly an electronics question. What relation do you know that links current and charge, and what do you know of the charge on an electron?