Which of the following will add to the patient dose but not to the diagnostic quality of the x-ray image?

Choosing low energy photons as the correct answer highlights the fundamental relationship between energy levels and their impact on both patient dose and image quality in radiography. Low energy photons are less effective at penetrating tissues and therefore tend to be absorbed more by the patient. This increased absorption contributes to a higher patient dose without enhancing the diagnostic quality of the x-ray image.

These low energy photons scatter and do not contribute significantly to the image formation. Instead, they can result in increased noise or fog on the film, which detracts from the clarity of the diagnostic image. In contrast, high energy photons are more penetrating and can produce higher quality images by providing better contrast between different tissue types while keeping the patient dose at an optimal level.

Therefore, while low energy photons do increase the absorbed dose to the patient, they fail to improve the diagnostic value of the resulting image, making them the appropriate choice in this context.