American Society for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT) Radiographic Testing Practice Test

The device that combines a magnet and transformer to guide and accelerate electrons to high energies is a Betatron. A Betatron specifically uses alternating magnetic fields to accelerate electrons in a circular path. This process allows the electrons to gain energy through an oscillating magnetic field while maintaining their trajectory within the device.

The unique design of the Betatron helps achieve high-energy acceleration efficiently by utilizing both the magnetic field and the principles of electromagnetism. This makes it particularly effective for generating high-energy X-rays for radiographic testing, as the accelerated electrons can be directed towards a target to produce radiation.

In contrast, a cyclotron and synchrotron are also devices used for particle acceleration, but they function differently. A cyclotron accelerates particles in a spiral path using a static magnetic field and a radiofrequency electric field, while a synchrotron uses a varying magnetic field to keep particles in a circular path as they are accelerated to relativistic speeds. A linac, or linear accelerator, accelerates charged particles along a straight path using high-frequency electromagnetic fields. Each of these devices plays a distinct role in particle physics and applications but serves different functions and methods of acceleration compared to the Betatron.