What technical change is needed to increase receptor exposure while using automatic exposure control (AEC)?

Increasing the density setting on an automatic exposure control (AEC) system is the correct approach to enhance receptor exposure. The density setting on an AEC adjusts the amount of radiation the system receives before it automatically terminates the exposure. When you increase this setting, you are essentially telling the AEC system to allow for more radiation to reach the image receptor, resulting in greater receptor exposure.

This adjustment is particularly useful in situations where the initial settings do not yield the desired image quality, perhaps due to patient factors or the composition of the body part being imaged. By increasing the density setting, the AEC compensates for these variables and optimizes the exposure of the receptor, ultimately improving the overall image quality.

Other options, while related to exposure factors, do not directly align with the function of the AEC in this context. Increasing milliamperage (mA) would lead to more radiation being produced overall, but it may not be practical if the AEC is already calibrated to automatically adjust exposure time and achieve the necessary dose. Decreasing kilovoltage (kVp) would actually reduce the energy of the x-ray photons, potentially leading to less receptor exposure. Lastly, decreasing the back-up timer controls how long the system will attempt to expose