Which statement about intensifying screen speed is true?

• A. It has no effect on dose.
• B. Higher-speed screens reduce patient dose for the same image density.
• C. Higher-speed screens increase patient dose.
• D. It only affects the speed of film development.

Answer: (B)

Intensifying screen speed describes how much light the screen emits for a given X-ray exposure. A faster screen produces more light, so the film reaches the desired optical density with less X-ray exposure. Because patient dose is tied to the amount of X-ray energy used, using a higher-speed screen allows a lower X-ray dose to achieve the same image density. The other statements don’t fit: screen speed does affect dose, it does not increase dose, and it isn’t about the speed of film development—development is a chemical process after exposure, not related to screen speed.