2006-12-12 07:50:00 · 3 answers · asked by zaebo 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Engineering
The "x" was chosen because, when they were named, the rays were an unknown type of radiation. The x stands for unknown.
From Wiki:
"On November 8, 1895, Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, a German scientist, began observing and further documenting X-rays while experimenting with vacuum tubes. Röntgen, on December 28, 1895, wrote a preliminary report "On a new kind of ray: A preliminary communication". He submitted it to the Würzburg's Physical-Medical Society journal. This was the first formal and public recognition of the categorization of X-rays. Röntgen referred to the radiation as "X", to indicate that it was an unknown type of radiation. The name stuck, although (over Röntgen's great objections), many of his colleagues suggested calling them Röntgen rays. They are still referred to as such in many languages. Röntgen received the first Nobel Prize in Physics for his discovery."
2006-12-12 07:54:33 · answer #1 · answered by computerguy103 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nothing really. In most scientific terms, anything that is unknown or cannot be explained at the time gets the label of X. (An example - Pluto was once known as "Planet X" when it was first discovered)
Why X? No one is sure when it started being used but it is thought that X stood for all things mysterious and unholy. X is also the one letter in the dictionary that has the fewest words, even less than Y or Z.
How many x-words can you think of? Not many right?
2006-12-12 08:01:57 · answer #2 · answered by Ammy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No one knows.......X.........not important
2006-12-12 07:58:32 · answer #3 · answered by BIG SISTER 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋