If a technologist wants to decrease the beam intensity and penetrability, what should they do?

Decreasing the kilovoltage peak (kVp) is the correct method to reduce both beam intensity and penetrability. When the kVp is lowered, the energy of the x-ray photons decreases. This reduction in energy directly correlates with a decrease in the ability of the x-ray beam to penetrate tissues. Consequently, the overall intensity of the beam reaching the image receptor is also reduced, as lower-energy photons are less capable of passing through denser structures.

In the context of image production, a lower kVp results in a higher contrast image, but it may also lead to increased scatter and less overall exposure to the image receptor. Understanding the balance of these variables is crucial for producing quality radiographic images while minimizing radiation dose to the patient.

Increasing source-to-image distance (SID) would not inherently decrease collateral intensity; rather, it generally results in a more dispersed beam, which affects the intensity inversely, causing a decrease in sharpness instead. Decreasing milliamperage (mA) primarily lowers the quantity of radiation produced without necessarily affecting the penetrability of the x-ray beam directly. Increasing filtration would serve to remove lower-energy photons from the x-ray beam, potentially increasing the average energy and penetrability instead of decreasing it.