Class 12 Physics Chapter 20 Medical Physics Notes | Punjab Board
Chapter-wise notes covering Ultrasound, Piezoelectric transducers, diagnostic medical imaging, X-ray generation and continuous spectra, CT-Scanning, PET scans, and radiotherapy cancer treatment - with solved textbook exercises, MCQs, short questions, and numericals aligned with the PCTB / PECTAA syllabus for Class 12 HSSC Part 2 students.
Chapter Overview
Chapter 20 of Class 12 Physics, Medical Physics, delivers an engaging curriculum on the direct application of fundamental physical principles in modern diagnostic imaging and therapeutic healthcare. The chapter begins with ultrasound generation and detection using piezoelectric crystal transducers (such as lead zirconate titanate), exploring acoustic impedance (Z = ρ·v) and intensity reflection coefficients at tissue boundaries in clinical A-scans, B-scans, and Doppler blood flow imaging.
The text comprehensively analyzes electromagnetic modalities in medicine, exploring the physics of X-ray production via Coolidge tubes, the continuous bremsstrahlung spectrum defined by the Duane-Hunt cutoff wavelength (λ_min = h·c/(e·V)), and characteristic X-ray spikes. This is extended to advanced Computed Tomography (CT Scanning), detailing 3D cross-sectional slice reconstruction using rotating X-ray fan beams and linear attenuation coefficients.
The chapter concludes with nuclear medicine and oncology physics, explaining Positron Emission Tomography (PET Scans) through positron-emitting radiotracers (such as fluorine-18 in FDG) and coincidence detection of 511 keV annihilation gamma photons, alongside radiation therapy techniques for cancer management. These notes provide Class 12 students across all Punjab examination boards (Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Multan, Bahawalpur, Sargodha, Sahiwal, and D.G. Khan) with comprehensive solved exercises, conceptual derivations, and step-by-step numerical solutions aligned with the 2026-2027 PCTB / PECTAA syllabus.