If a technologist is 1 foot from an x-ray source and receives an exposure rate of 2 microgray/hour, what will the exposure rate be if the technologist moves to 2 feet away?

The correct answer is based on the inverse square law, which states that the intensity of radiation decreases with the square of the distance from the source. This principle is crucial for understanding how exposure rates change with distance.

Initially, the technologist is 1 foot away from the x-ray source and receives an exposure rate of 2 microgray/hour. When the technologist moves to 2 feet, they are doubling their distance from the source. According to the inverse square law, if the distance from the source is doubled, the exposure rate is reduced by a factor of four (since (2^2 = 4)).

To calculate the new exposure rate at 2 feet:

1. Start with the exposure rate at 1 foot: 2 microgray/hour.

2. Apply the inverse square law: Divide the initial exposure rate by 4.

3. ( 2 , \text{microgray/hour} \div 4 = 0.5 , \text{microgray/hour} ).

Thus, at a distance of 2 feet, the exposure rate is 0.5 microgray/hour. This aligns with the calculated reduction, affirming the choice that moving further away leads to significantly reduced exposure, emphasizing