If the required X-ray exposure time at 225 kV and 5 mA is 3 minutes, what exposure time would be needed at 10 mA?

To determine the exposure time required at 10 mA based on the given information, it is essential to understand the relationship between milliampere (mA) settings and exposure time in radiographic imaging.

Current (in mA) and exposure time are inversely related when the exposure is performed at a constant kilovolt peak (kV). This means that if you increase the mA, you are effectively increasing the number of x-ray photons produced per unit time, which allows you to reduce the exposure time required to achieve the same film density or image quality.

In this scenario, the initial condition is an exposure time of 3 minutes at 5 mA. When the current is increased to 10 mA, the output of x-rays is doubled because the tube is producing twice as many photons per second compared to the original setting. Therefore, to maintain a similar image quality and exposure, the exposure time needs to be reduced.

To find the new exposure time at 10 mA:

1. Determine the ratio of the currents: 10 mA / 5 mA = 2.

2. Since the mA has doubled, the exposure time should be halved to maintain the same exposure: 3 minutes /