American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) Practice Exam

The patient is the source of most scattered radiation in the context of radiologic imaging. When X-rays are produced by the X-ray machine, they penetrate the patient's body to create images of the internal structures. However, not all the X-rays pass directly through to the film or detector. Many of these X-rays interact with the tissues of the patient, leading to scattering.

This scattering occurs due to Compton interactions, where incoming X-ray photons collide with atoms in the patient's body, resulting in the emission of lower-energy photons that travel in various directions. This scattered radiation can ultimately contribute to the dose received by the technologist and impact image quality as it adds unwanted exposure to the film or digital receptor.

While the X-ray machine generates the radiation and the technologist operates the equipment, it is the patient’s body that predominantly creates the scatter. Therefore, identifying the patient as the source of most scattered radiation is essential for understanding radiation safety and dose management in radiographic procedures.