When the potential difference applied across an X-ray tube is increased, what happens to the emitted radiation?

Step-by-step solution

The minimum wavelength of the emitted X-rays is given by _ min = hc eV . When the potential difference V applied across the X-ray tube is increased, the minimum wavelength _ min decreases. The total intensity of the continuous X-ray spectrum (total energy radiated per second) is proportional to the square of the accelerating voltage ( I V^2 ). Therefore, when the potential difference is increased, the overall intensity of the emitted radiation also increases.