X rays are a form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation. Electromagnetic radiation, or light energy, occurs as a continuous gradient, or spectrum, of forms. Exhibiting wave-like properties, the electromagnetic spectrum consists of light energy of many differing wavelengths and frequencies. Wavelength is the distance between the same points on adjacent light waves, and frequency is defined as the number of waves that pass a given point within a specified time period (wave fronts per second, or Hertz). Therefore, smaller wavelengths have greater frequencies, and vice versa. The entire electromagnetic spectrum spans wavelengths smaller than and greater than 100,000 meters. On one end of the spectrum, radio waves are very long wavelength light waves (around 100,000 m or more) with low frequency. On the other end, x rays are very short wavelength (10-13 meters or less), high frequency waves. X rays specifically have wavelengths that range from 10-8 to 10-...