X-rays are electrically ___.

X-rays are electrically ___.

• A. Positive
• B. Negative
• C. Both positive and negative
• D. Neutral

Answer: (D)

X-rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation made of photons. Photons carry energy and momentum but have no electric charge, so the radiation itself is electrically neutral. This neutrality means X-rays aren’t attracted to or repelled by electric or magnetic fields, unlike charged particles. The energy of X-rays lets them penetrate matter and ionize atoms through interactions such as the photoelectric effect and Compton scattering, but that ionization happens without the X-rays themselves carrying charge. So the correct description is that X-rays are electrically neutral.

X-rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation made of photons. Photons carry energy and momentum but have no electric charge, so the radiation itself is electrically neutral. This neutrality means X-rays aren’t attracted to or repelled by electric or magnetic fields, unlike charged particles. The energy of X-rays lets them penetrate matter and ionize atoms through interactions such as the photoelectric effect and Compton scattering, but that ionization happens without the X-rays themselves carrying charge. So the correct description is that X-rays are electrically neutral.