Question:medium

The Bragg peak effect is most pronounced in:

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Heavy charged particles dump their dose at a defined depth before stopping.
Updated On: Jun 24, 2026
  • X-ray
  • Proton
  • Neutron
  • Electron
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The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Picture the dose-versus-depth curve for a radiation beam. For some radiations the dose climbs to a sharp maximum at the end of the range and then falls off abruptly - that maximum is the Bragg peak.

Step 2: This behaviour belongs to heavy charged particles. As such a particle decelerates, the chance of interaction grows steeply (the stopping power scales near \[\frac{1}{v^{2}}\]), so it dumps the bulk of its energy in a narrow band just before stopping.

Step 3: Protons are the heavy charged particle in the list, and their dose profile shows a clear Bragg peak, which is the basis of proton therapy targeting deep tumours while sparing tissue beyond. By contrast, photon beams (X-rays) and light electrons lack this distal spike, and neutrons, being uncharged, do not generate a Bragg peak.
\[\boxed{\text{Proton}}\]
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