Mass attenuation coefficient
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The mass attenuation coefficient (also known as the mass absorption coefficient) is a constant describing the fraction of photons removed from a monochromatic x-ray beam by a homogenoushomogeneous absorber per unit mass.
It is equivalent to the linear attenuation coefficient divided by the density of the absorber (μ/ρ), and is expressed in cm2/g.
The Beer-Lambert law, which describes the attenuation of a homogenoushomogeneous x-ray beam, can be modified to accommodate the mass attenuation coefficient in the following equation:
I = I0e-(μ/ρ)ρx
- I = transmitted intensity
- I0 = incident intensity
- μ/ρ = mass attenuation coefficient (cm2/g)
- μ = linear attenuation coefficient (cm-1)
- ρ = density (g/cm3)
- ρx = mass thickness (g/cm2)
- x = path length (cm)
-<p>The <strong>mass attenuation coefficient </strong>(also known as the <strong>mass absorption coefficient</strong>) is a constant describing the fraction of photons removed from a monochromatic x-ray beam by a homogenous absorber per unit mass.</p><p>It is equivalent to the <a href="/articles/linear-attenuation-coefficient">linear attenuation coefficient </a>divided by the density of the absorber (μ/ρ), and is expressed in cm<sup>2</sup>/g.</p><p>The Beer-Lambert law, which describes the attenuation of a homogenous x-ray beam, can be modified to accommodate the mass attenuation coefficient in the following equation:</p><p><!--StartFragment--><!--[if gte msEquation 12]><m:oMathPara xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml"><m:oMath xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml"><m:r><m:t>𝐼</m:t></m:r><m:r><m:t>=</m:t></m:r><m:sSub><m:sSubPr><m:ctrlPr/></m:sSubPr><m:e><m:r><m:t>𝐼</m:t></m:r></m:e><m:sub><m:r><m:t>𝑂</m:t></m:r></m:sub></m:sSub><m:sSup><m:sSupPr><m:ctrlPr/></m:sSupPr><m:e><m:r><m:t>𝑒</m:t></m:r></m:e><m:sup><m:r><m:t>−</m:t></m:r><m:r><m:t>𝜇</m:t></m:r><m:r><m:t>𝑡</m:t></m:r></m:sup></m:sSup></m:oMath></m:oMathPara><![endif]--><!--[if !msEquation]--><!--[endif]--><!--EndFragment--><!--StartFragment--><!--[if gte msEquation 12]><m:oMathPara xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml"><m:oMath xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml"><m:r><m:t>𝐼</m:t></m:r><m:r><m:t>=</m:t></m:r><m:sSub><m:sSubPr><m:ctrlPr/></m:sSubPr><m:e><m:r><m:t>𝐼</m:t></m:r></m:e><m:sub><m:r><m:t>𝑂</m:t></m:r></m:sub></m:sSub><m:sSup><m:sSupPr><m:ctrlPr/></m:sSupPr><m:e><m:r><m:t>𝑒</m:t></m:r></m:e><m:sup><m:r><m:t>−</m:t></m:r><m:r><m:t>𝜇</m:t></m:r><m:r><m:t>𝑡</m:t></m:r></m:sup></m:sSup></m:oMath></m:oMathPara><![endif]--><!--[if !msEquation]--><!--[endif]--><!--EndFragment--><em> I = I<sub>0</sub>e<sup>-(μ/ρ)ρx</sup></em></p><ul>- +<p>The <strong>mass attenuation coefficient </strong>(also known as the <strong>mass absorption coefficient</strong>) is a constant describing the fraction of photons removed from a monochromatic x-ray beam by a homogeneous absorber per unit mass.</p><p>It is equivalent to the <a href="/articles/linear-attenuation-coefficient">linear attenuation coefficient </a>divided by the density of the absorber (μ/ρ), and is expressed in cm<sup>2</sup>/g.</p><p>The Beer-Lambert law, which describes the attenuation of a homogeneous x-ray beam, can be modified to accommodate the mass attenuation coefficient in the following equation:</p><p><!--StartFragment--><!--[if gte msEquation 12]><m:oMathPara xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml"><m:oMath xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml"><m:r><m:t>𝐼</m:t></m:r><m:r><m:t>=</m:t></m:r><m:sSub><m:sSubPr><m:ctrlPr/></m:sSubPr><m:e><m:r><m:t>𝐼</m:t></m:r></m:e><m:sub><m:r><m:t>𝑂</m:t></m:r></m:sub></m:sSub><m:sSup><m:sSupPr><m:ctrlPr/></m:sSupPr><m:e><m:r><m:t>𝑒</m:t></m:r></m:e><m:sup><m:r><m:t>−</m:t></m:r><m:r><m:t>𝜇</m:t></m:r><m:r><m:t>𝑡</m:t></m:r></m:sup></m:sSup></m:oMath></m:oMathPara><![endif]--><!--[if !msEquation]--><!--[endif]--><!--EndFragment--><!--StartFragment--><!--[if gte msEquation 12]><m:oMathPara xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml"><m:oMath xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml"><m:r><m:t>𝐼</m:t></m:r><m:r><m:t>=</m:t></m:r><m:sSub><m:sSubPr><m:ctrlPr/></m:sSubPr><m:e><m:r><m:t>𝐼</m:t></m:r></m:e><m:sub><m:r><m:t>𝑂</m:t></m:r></m:sub></m:sSub><m:sSup><m:sSupPr><m:ctrlPr/></m:sSupPr><m:e><m:r><m:t>𝑒</m:t></m:r></m:e><m:sup><m:r><m:t>−</m:t></m:r><m:r><m:t>𝜇</m:t></m:r><m:r><m:t>𝑡</m:t></m:r></m:sup></m:sSup></m:oMath></m:oMathPara><![endif]--><!--[if !msEquation]--><!--[endif]--><!--EndFragment--><em> I = I<sub>0</sub>e<sup>-(μ/ρ)ρx</sup></em></p><ul>
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