If the receptor exposure is too low, which adjustment would likely be effective?

When receptor exposure is too low, it indicates that the amount of radiation reaching the imaging receptor is insufficient to create a diagnostic-quality image. To remedy this, increasing the milliampere-seconds (mAs) is an effective adjustment. The mAs is a product of the tube current (mA) and the exposure time in seconds. By increasing the mA, you increase the quantity of x-rays produced during the exposure. This boost in radiation output results in a higher receptor exposure, enabling the image receptor to receive more photons, ultimately improving the visibility of the structures in the image.

Furthermore, the other options do not adequately address the issue of low receptor exposure. Decreasing mA or decreasing exposure time would further reduce radiation output, exacerbating the problem instead of solving it. Increasing distance from the source reduces the intensity of the beam due to the inverse square law, making receptor exposure worse. Thus, increasing mA is the most appropriate choice for correcting low receptor exposure.