If the milliamperage is increased to 15, what must the time be decreased to in order to maintain the same density of the exposed radiograph?

To maintain the same density of an exposed radiograph, the product of milliamperage (mA) and exposure time (seconds) must remain constant. This relationship is based on the principle that an increase in milliamperage requires a corresponding decrease in exposure time to keep the total amount of radiation exposure to the receptor the same.

In this scenario, if the milliamperage is increased to 15, you would use the inverse relationship to find the new exposure time that would achieve equivalent density. Increasing the milliamperage means that fewer seconds are needed for a similar outcome since a higher mA results in more radiation being emitted per second.

Considering the options provided, if the original time is assumed at 2 seconds with a lower mA, the increase to 15 mA would necessitate a decrease in time to ensure the density (darkness) of the film doesn’t change. The concept of reciprocal relationship between time and milliamperage leads to the conclusion that halving the time would maintain the density established at a lower milliamperage.

Using this reasoning, decreasing the exposure time to 2 seconds effectively compensates for the increase in milliamperage, allowing the same density of the film to