Miller and GK arguing about physics ... I have to give the win on this one almost completely to GK, even his use of glass was suitable as this was how x-rays were discovered.
Miller, You are correct bremsstrahlung is the predominant mechanism, but what you describe below is not bremsstrahlung but characteristic x-rays. Bremsstrahlung would be caused by the accelerated electrons bouncing off predominantly nuclei (and electrons) and rapidly decelerating and releasing broad-spectrum x-rays related to their accelerated energy, ie 100kev. That is why you can "tune" an x-ray to any potential you want, and get a broad spectrum of x-rays that corresponds to that energy potential. A mark of 8/10 goes to GK. 1 mark off for not stating that collisions with electrons can also release "breaking" radiation, and 1 mark off for putting this as the 2nd mechanism as opposed to the 1st or primary. Sorry Miller, 0/10 as you did not describe this at all.
On the characteristic radiation, which is a secondary mechanism in an x-ray generator, 5/10 to miller for explaining part of the mechanism properly, and 3/10 to GK for partially explaining what happens. The correct answer is an electron-electron collision can knock an inner shell electron out of the shell. That will allow an outer shell higher energy electron to drop to the lower energy shell and consequently release a photon at a very specific energy for the material be it tungsten or glass.
With 11/20 the win goes to GK, easily beating Miller and his score of 5/10.
Miller, You are correct bremsstrahlung is the predominant mechanism, but what you describe below is not bremsstrahlung but characteristic x-rays. Bremsstrahlung would be caused by the accelerated electrons bouncing off predominantly nuclei (and electrons) and rapidly decelerating and releasing broad-spectrum x-rays related to their accelerated energy, ie 100kev. That is why you can "tune" an x-ray to any potential you want, and get a broad spectrum of x-rays that corresponds to that energy potential. A mark of 8/10 goes to GK. 1 mark off for not stating that collisions with electrons can also release "breaking" radiation, and 1 mark off for putting this as the 2nd mechanism as opposed to the 1st or primary. Sorry Miller, 0/10 as you did not describe this at all.
On the characteristic radiation, which is a secondary mechanism in an x-ray generator, 5/10 to miller for explaining part of the mechanism properly, and 3/10 to GK for partially explaining what happens. The correct answer is an electron-electron collision can knock an inner shell electron out of the shell. That will allow an outer shell higher energy electron to drop to the lower energy shell and consequently release a photon at a very specific energy for the material be it tungsten or glass.
With 11/20 the win goes to GK, easily beating Miller and his score of 5/10.
The reaction we are mainly concerned with here happens in the electron shell. Collision energy causes electrons in one shell to increase in energy to the next higher level shell. Think of it as pushing them into a higher orbit. But electrons in their shells balance protons in the nucleus, so this is an unstable situation. But to fall back where it "belongs" is a lower energy state and so to balance the equation the tungsten atom releases a photon. A very high energy photon we call an x-ray.