The statement 'X-rays can only be used to locate flaws at or near the surface of a weld' is:

The statement 'X-rays can only be used to locate flaws at or near the surface of a weld' is:

• A. True
• B. False
• C. It depends on the material
• D. Not enough information

Answer: (B)

X-ray radiography is a volumetric inspection method. The penetrating beam passes through the weld and surrounding material, and internal flaws such as porosity, cracks, or inclusions change the absorption pattern, creating contrast on the radiograph that reveals features well inside the weld cross-section. This means you can locate flaws not just at the surface but throughout the weld and heat-affected zone. Of course, what you can see depends on factors like weld thickness, material density, flaw size and orientation, and the X-ray energy used, so there are practical limits. But the idea that X-rays are limited to surface flaws isn’t accurate, so the statement is false.

X-ray radiography is a volumetric inspection method. The penetrating beam passes through the weld and surrounding material, and internal flaws such as porosity, cracks, or inclusions change the absorption pattern, creating contrast on the radiograph that reveals features well inside the weld cross-section. This means you can locate flaws not just at the surface but throughout the weld and heat-affected zone. Of course, what you can see depends on factors like weld thickness, material density, flaw size and orientation, and the X-ray energy used, so there are practical limits. But the idea that X-rays are limited to surface flaws isn’t accurate, so the statement is false.