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Radiography in Modern Industry - Kodak

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Chapter 16: Sensitometric Characteristics of X-rayFilmsThe Characteristic CurveThe relation between the exposure and the density <strong>in</strong> the processed radiograph is commonlyexpressed <strong>in</strong> the form of a characteristic curve, which correlates density with the logarithm ofrelative exposure.Photographic density is dimensionless, s<strong>in</strong>ce it is the logarithm of a dimensionless ratio. Thereare, therefore, no "units" of density. In this respect, it is similar to a number of other physicalquantities, for example, pH, specific gravity, and atomic weight.ContrastThe slope, or steepness, of the characteristic curve for x-ray film changes cont<strong>in</strong>uously along itslength. (See "The Characteristic Curve".) The density difference correspond<strong>in</strong>g to a difference <strong>in</strong>specimen thickness depends on the region of the characteristic curve on which the exposuresfall. The steeper the slope of the curve <strong>in</strong> this region, the greater is the density difference, andhence the greater is the visibility of detail. (This assumes, of course, that the illum<strong>in</strong>ator is brightenough so that a reasonable amount of light is transmitted through the radiograph to the eye ofthe observer.)The <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g ease of visibility of detail with <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g steepness of the characteristic curve isdemonstrated <strong>in</strong> Figure 113. Figure 113B and C of the figure below are radiographs of the testobject shown <strong>in</strong> Figure 113A. The radiographs differ only <strong>in</strong> the milliampere-seconds used tomake them, that is, on the portion of the characteristic curve on which the densities fall. Thedetails are much more clearly visible on radiograph C than on B because C falls on the steeperhigh-density portion of the characteristic curve (where the film contrast is high), while B falls onthe much flatter toe portion.

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