If the distance is increased from 60 inches to 72 inches, what will happen to the intensity of the x-ray beam?

When the distance between the x-ray source and the object being imaged increases, the intensity of the x-ray beam decreases. This relationship is fundamentally explained by the inverse square law, which states that the intensity of radiation is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the source.

As the distance increases from 60 inches to 72 inches, the intensity is spread over a larger area, resulting in a reduction of intensity. Specifically, doubling the distance causes the intensity to drop to one-fourth because you square the distance in the calculation (i.e., (1/distance^2)). Since the new distance is further away, the x-ray beam's intensity diminishes as it disperses over a larger volume, leading to a decrease in the number of x-ray photons reaching the detector or the patient at that greater distance.

Thus, the result is that the intensity of the x-ray beam will decrease as the distance is increased from 60 inches to 72 inches.