CALIFORNIA FLUOROSCOPY SUPERVISOR AND OPERATOR CERTIFICATION
COMPLETE SET OF VERIFIED EXAM QUESTIONS AND ACCURATE ANSWERS WITH
A GUARANTEED PASS PROMISE
1. Q: What is ionizing radiation? ANSWER Radiation that has sufficient
energy to remove electrons from atoms, creating ion pairs in matter.
2. Q: What is the speed of X-rays? ANSWER X-rays travel at the speed of
light, approximately 186,000 miles per second or 3 × 10^8 meters per second.
3. Q: What is the relationship between wavelength and frequency?
ANSWER Wavelength and frequency are inversely proportional; as
wavelength decreases, frequency increases.
4. Q: What is electromagnetic radiation? ANSWER Energy that travels
through space as waves, including radio waves, visible light, and X-rays.
5. Q: What are the two types of X-rays produced in an X-ray tube?
ANSWER Bremsstrahlung (braking) radiation and characteristic radiation.
6. Q: What is Bremsstrahlung radiation? ANSWER X-rays produced when
electrons are slowed down or stopped by the target material in the X-ray tube.
7. Q: What is characteristic radiation? ANSWER X-rays produced when an
inner shell electron is knocked out and an outer shell electron fills the vacancy.
8. Q: What is the atomic number? ANSWER The number of protons in the
nucleus of an atom.
9. Q: What is the mass number? ANSWER The total number of protons and
neutrons in an atom's nucleus.
10. Q: What is an isotope? ANSWER Atoms of the same element with
different numbers of neutrons.
11. Q: What is half-life? ANSWER The time required for half of the
radioactive atoms in a sample to decay.
12. Q: What is the inverse square law? ANSWER Radiation intensity is
inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the source.
,13. Q: If you double the distance from a radiation source, how does the
intensity change? ANSWER The intensity decreases to one-fourth (1/4) of the
original intensity.
14. Q: What are the three types of ionizing radiation? ANSWER Alpha
particles, beta particles, and gamma rays (also X-rays).
15. Q: What is penetration ability of alpha particles? ANSWER Very low;
stopped by paper or skin.
16. Q: What is penetration ability of beta particles? ANSWER Moderate;
stopped by plastic or aluminum.
17. Q: What is penetration ability of gamma rays? ANSWER High;
requires lead or concrete for shielding.
18. Q: What is attenuation? ANSWER The reduction in intensity of radiation
as it passes through matter.
19. Q: What three interactions occur between X-rays and matter?
ANSWER Photoelectric effect, Compton scattering, and coherent (classical)
scattering.
20. Q: What is the photoelectric effect? ANSWER An interaction where an
X-ray photon is completely absorbed, ejecting an inner shell electron.
21. Q: What is Compton scattering? ANSWER An interaction where an X-
ray photon strikes an outer shell electron, losing some energy and changing
direction.
22. Q: Which interaction is most important for patient dose? ANSWER
The photoelectric effect contributes most to patient dose.
23. Q: Which interaction creates scatter radiation? ANSWER Compton
scattering is the primary source of scatter radiation.
24. Q: What is coherent scattering? ANSWER An interaction where the X-
ray changes direction without losing energy or ionization.
25. Q: What is filtration? ANSWER The use of absorbing material to remove
low-energy X-rays from the beam.
26. Q: What is inherent filtration? ANSWER Filtration from the X-ray tube
components (glass envelope, oil, tube housing).
27. Q: What is added filtration? ANSWER Aluminum or other material
added to the beam path to increase total filtration.
, 28. Q: What is total filtration? ANSWER The sum of inherent and added
filtration.
29. Q: What is the minimum total filtration required for fluoroscopy units?
ANSWER 2.5 mm aluminum equivalent for fixed installations.
30. Q: What is half-value layer (HVL)? ANSWER The thickness of material
needed to reduce radiation intensity to half its original value.
31. Q: What does HVL measure? ANSWER Beam quality or penetrating
ability of the X-ray beam.
32. Q: What is kVp? ANSWER Kilovoltage peak; the maximum voltage
applied across the X-ray tube.
33. Q: How does increasing kVp affect the X-ray beam? ANSWER
Increases beam energy, penetration, and quantity of X-rays produced.
34. Q: What is mA? ANSWER Milliamperage; the measure of tube current or
number of electrons flowing from cathode to anode.
35. Q: How does mA affect radiation output? ANSWER Radiation output is
directly proportional to mA.
36. Q: What is mAs? ANSWER Milliampere-seconds; the product of tube
current and exposure time.
37. Q: What is exposure time? ANSWER The duration that X-rays are
produced during an exposure.
38. Q: What are the three primary exposure factors? ANSWER kVp, mA,
and time.
39. Q: What is beam restriction? ANSWER Limiting the size of the X-ray
beam to the area of clinical interest.
40. Q: What device is used for beam restriction in fluoroscopy? ANSWER
Collimators or diaphragms.
41. Q: What is source-to-image distance (SID)? ANSWER The distance
from the X-ray tube focal spot to the image receptor.
42. Q: What is the typical range for fluoroscopy tube current? ANSWER
0.5 to 5 mA for continuous fluoroscopy.
43. Q: What is automatic brightness control (ABC)? ANSWER A system
that automatically adjusts technical factors to maintain consistent image
brightness.
COMPLETE SET OF VERIFIED EXAM QUESTIONS AND ACCURATE ANSWERS WITH
A GUARANTEED PASS PROMISE
1. Q: What is ionizing radiation? ANSWER Radiation that has sufficient
energy to remove electrons from atoms, creating ion pairs in matter.
2. Q: What is the speed of X-rays? ANSWER X-rays travel at the speed of
light, approximately 186,000 miles per second or 3 × 10^8 meters per second.
3. Q: What is the relationship between wavelength and frequency?
ANSWER Wavelength and frequency are inversely proportional; as
wavelength decreases, frequency increases.
4. Q: What is electromagnetic radiation? ANSWER Energy that travels
through space as waves, including radio waves, visible light, and X-rays.
5. Q: What are the two types of X-rays produced in an X-ray tube?
ANSWER Bremsstrahlung (braking) radiation and characteristic radiation.
6. Q: What is Bremsstrahlung radiation? ANSWER X-rays produced when
electrons are slowed down or stopped by the target material in the X-ray tube.
7. Q: What is characteristic radiation? ANSWER X-rays produced when an
inner shell electron is knocked out and an outer shell electron fills the vacancy.
8. Q: What is the atomic number? ANSWER The number of protons in the
nucleus of an atom.
9. Q: What is the mass number? ANSWER The total number of protons and
neutrons in an atom's nucleus.
10. Q: What is an isotope? ANSWER Atoms of the same element with
different numbers of neutrons.
11. Q: What is half-life? ANSWER The time required for half of the
radioactive atoms in a sample to decay.
12. Q: What is the inverse square law? ANSWER Radiation intensity is
inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the source.
,13. Q: If you double the distance from a radiation source, how does the
intensity change? ANSWER The intensity decreases to one-fourth (1/4) of the
original intensity.
14. Q: What are the three types of ionizing radiation? ANSWER Alpha
particles, beta particles, and gamma rays (also X-rays).
15. Q: What is penetration ability of alpha particles? ANSWER Very low;
stopped by paper or skin.
16. Q: What is penetration ability of beta particles? ANSWER Moderate;
stopped by plastic or aluminum.
17. Q: What is penetration ability of gamma rays? ANSWER High;
requires lead or concrete for shielding.
18. Q: What is attenuation? ANSWER The reduction in intensity of radiation
as it passes through matter.
19. Q: What three interactions occur between X-rays and matter?
ANSWER Photoelectric effect, Compton scattering, and coherent (classical)
scattering.
20. Q: What is the photoelectric effect? ANSWER An interaction where an
X-ray photon is completely absorbed, ejecting an inner shell electron.
21. Q: What is Compton scattering? ANSWER An interaction where an X-
ray photon strikes an outer shell electron, losing some energy and changing
direction.
22. Q: Which interaction is most important for patient dose? ANSWER
The photoelectric effect contributes most to patient dose.
23. Q: Which interaction creates scatter radiation? ANSWER Compton
scattering is the primary source of scatter radiation.
24. Q: What is coherent scattering? ANSWER An interaction where the X-
ray changes direction without losing energy or ionization.
25. Q: What is filtration? ANSWER The use of absorbing material to remove
low-energy X-rays from the beam.
26. Q: What is inherent filtration? ANSWER Filtration from the X-ray tube
components (glass envelope, oil, tube housing).
27. Q: What is added filtration? ANSWER Aluminum or other material
added to the beam path to increase total filtration.
, 28. Q: What is total filtration? ANSWER The sum of inherent and added
filtration.
29. Q: What is the minimum total filtration required for fluoroscopy units?
ANSWER 2.5 mm aluminum equivalent for fixed installations.
30. Q: What is half-value layer (HVL)? ANSWER The thickness of material
needed to reduce radiation intensity to half its original value.
31. Q: What does HVL measure? ANSWER Beam quality or penetrating
ability of the X-ray beam.
32. Q: What is kVp? ANSWER Kilovoltage peak; the maximum voltage
applied across the X-ray tube.
33. Q: How does increasing kVp affect the X-ray beam? ANSWER
Increases beam energy, penetration, and quantity of X-rays produced.
34. Q: What is mA? ANSWER Milliamperage; the measure of tube current or
number of electrons flowing from cathode to anode.
35. Q: How does mA affect radiation output? ANSWER Radiation output is
directly proportional to mA.
36. Q: What is mAs? ANSWER Milliampere-seconds; the product of tube
current and exposure time.
37. Q: What is exposure time? ANSWER The duration that X-rays are
produced during an exposure.
38. Q: What are the three primary exposure factors? ANSWER kVp, mA,
and time.
39. Q: What is beam restriction? ANSWER Limiting the size of the X-ray
beam to the area of clinical interest.
40. Q: What device is used for beam restriction in fluoroscopy? ANSWER
Collimators or diaphragms.
41. Q: What is source-to-image distance (SID)? ANSWER The distance
from the X-ray tube focal spot to the image receptor.
42. Q: What is the typical range for fluoroscopy tube current? ANSWER
0.5 to 5 mA for continuous fluoroscopy.
43. Q: What is automatic brightness control (ABC)? ANSWER A system
that automatically adjusts technical factors to maintain consistent image
brightness.
