How does an increase in filtration affect the percentage of beam penetration through objects of interest?

When discussing the effects of filtration on beam penetration, understanding the role of filtration in radiographic imaging is crucial. Filtration involves the use of materials placed in the path of the x-ray beam to selectively absorb lower energy photons. Higher energy photons are more penetrating and contribute to image formation, while lower energy ones mainly contribute to dose without enhancing image quality.

An increase in filtration primarily serves to remove these low-energy photons from the x-ray beam. By doing so, the overall quality of the beam is improved, leading to an increase in the average energy of the photons that remain. As a result, the higher-energy photons can penetrate objects of interest—such as tissues in the human body—more effectively than a beam with more low-energy photons.

Thus, the effect of increased filtration is an improvement in beam penetration through objects, leading to better imaging of the anatomical structures of interest while also reducing patient dose due to the elimination of ineffective photons. This is why an increase in filtration leads to an increase in the percentage of beam penetration through these objects.