What absorbs x-rays in digital imaging?

• A. Phosphor plate
• B. Film emulsion
• C. Detector elements in pixels
• D. CCD chip

Answer: (C)

In digital imaging, the part that actually absorbs x-ray energy is the detector elements in the pixel array. Each pixel contains a detector material that absorbs incoming x-ray photons and converts that energy into an electrical signal, which is then read out and digitized to form the image. This is what allows the image to be produced directly from x-ray exposure. The phosphor plate is used in computed radiography to store energy and later release light, not the digital detector itself. Film emulsion belongs to conventional radiography, and a CCD chip detects light, not x-rays directly (unless paired with a scintillator), so it isn’t the primary x-ray absorber in most digital systems.