However, ionizing radiation is so high in energy it can break chemical bonds -- meaning it can charge (or ionize) an atom that interacts with it. At a lower energy, it may strip off a couple of electrons. At a higher energy, it can destroy the nucleus of an atom. This means that ...
Visible light photons and X-ray photons are both produced by the movement of electrons in atoms. Electrons occupy different energy levels, or orbitals, around an atom's nucleus. When an electron drops to a lower orbital, it needs to release some energy -- it releases the extra energy in ...