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The electrons are accelerated to a very high velocity because of the high voltage. The energy they attain is proportional to the accelerating voltage, also called the kV setting.
At the target, the electrons lose energy when they are decelerated and/or when they interact with inner orbital electrons. During these interactions, x-ray photons are emitted.
The target is generally made of tungsten. Tungsten has a high melting point, which is important because 99% of the electron energy is converted to heat, and only 1% is converted into x-rays.
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