The optical density that would result if an unexposed film were processed through the fixer, washer, and dryer, WITHOUT FIRST PASSING through the developer is termed:

• A. base density
• B. mid density
• C. density difference
• D. base plus fog density

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that image density is created by developing exposed silver halide crystals into metallic silver. If there’s no exposure, no image density forms during development. Here, the film is run through fixer, washer, and dryer but never goes through the developer, so no image density appears. What remains after processing is the inherent density of the film itself—the base density. Fog can add density, but the standard answer focuses on the film’s base density as the density present on an unexposed, processed film. Therefore the resulting density is base density.