Question:easy

The EDX (Energy-Dispersive X-ray) detector used with SEM/TEM provides

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Remember:
- EDX/EDS \(\rightarrow\) Elemental composition (uses characteristic X-rays).
- EBSD \(\rightarrow\) Crystallographic orientation and texture (uses electron backscatter diffraction).
- SE (Secondary Electrons) \(\rightarrow\) Topographical surface imaging.
- BSE (Backscattered Electrons) \(\rightarrow\) Atomic number contrast imaging.
Updated On: Jul 3, 2026
  • Phase contrast images
  • Diffraction data
  • Elemental composition via characteristic X-rays
  • High-temperature imaging
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The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

A simple way to recall what EDX measures is to think about what happens right after the electron beam knocks an inner-shell electron out of an atom in the sample. An outer electron falls down to fill that vacancy, and it releases the extra energy as an X-ray photon whose energy is fixed by the electronic structure of that specific element, so it acts like an atomic fingerprint. Because every element has its own characteristic inner-shell energy gap, sorting and counting these X-rays by energy tells us which elements are present in the sample and roughly how much of each there is. This is quite different from forming an image or collecting crystallographic diffraction patterns, which come from other detectors fitted to the SEM or TEM. So the correct choice is option (C).
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