How does increasing distance from the x-ray source affect beam intensity?

Increasing the distance from the x-ray source decreases beam intensity due to the inverse square law, which states that the intensity of radiation is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the source. As you move further away from the x-ray tube, the area over which the x-ray photons spread increases, resulting in a dilution of the beam intensity. This means that the amount of exposure to a specific area decreases as distance increases, leading to a lower intensity of x-ray photons reaching the detector or the subject being imaged. Understanding this principle is critical in radiography, as it impacts exposure settings and the quality of the resulting images.