Advanced Patient Assessment Practice Exam

The casting of a white shadow on the film is consistent with which of the following situations?

1. More penetrated film

2. More exposed film

3. More radiolucent film

4. Less exposed film

The correct answer is: Less exposed film

The presence of a white shadow on a film is indicative of an area that has been less exposed to radiation and therefore has a greater density on the film. This white shadow occurs because the film is more opaque in that region, meaning that less radiation was able to penetrate through the material being examined. When an area is underexposed, it does not capture enough of the radiation, resulting in a lighter or white appearance on the developed film, as opposed to areas that have been adequately or overexposed, which appear darker. This phenomenon is a fundamental principle in radiographic imaging, where adequate exposure levels are crucial for obtaining clear and diagnostic-quality images. In contrast, more penetrated or more exposed films would present darker shadows on the film due to increased radiation exposure, which allows more of the X-ray to pass through to the film.