TED-Ed: Mysteries of vernacular: X-ray - Jessica Oreck and Rachael Teel

The video explores the nature and history of X-rays, a form of electromagnetic radiation. It traces the origin of the term 'X-ray' to Rene Descartes' mathematical convention of using X, Y, and Z to represent unknowns. Wilhelm Rontgen discovered X-rays in the 19th century, naming them X-strahlen, with 'X' denoting their unknown nature. The English term 'ray' connects to mathematics, where a ray is a line extending infinitely from a point. Today, X-rays are well understood and also known as Rontgen Radiation, reflecting their discoverer's name.

Explain the significance of the letter 'X' in the term X-ray.

How is X-radiation commonly referred to today, and what does this name imply?