Passage I

X-ray spectroscopy is a way of analyzing a mineral's composition. When an electron beam is directed onto a mineral, each element in the mineral emits characteristic X-rays having a narrow range of energies. The intensityof all X-rays emitted by the elements is measured. The greater the maximum intensity of the X-rays emitted by an ele­ment, the greater the relative concentration of the element in the mineral.

Figures 1 and 2 show X-ray spectroscopy results for Mineral 1 and Mineral 2, respectively, under identical con­ditions. Energy is given in kiloelectron volts (keV); inten­sity is given in counts per second (sec).