A crazed pattern on the film is usually caused by what drying condition?

• A. Exposed to light before xray exposure
• B. Dried too quickly over strong heat source
• C. Film bent or folded during processing
• D. Inadequate fixing due to old solution

Answer: (B)

This question is about how drying conditions affect the film emulsion. Crazing occurs when the gelatin emulsion dries too quickly, especially over a strong heat source. Rapid evaporation causes the emulsion to contract unevenly, producing many fine cracks that look like a crazed pattern across the film. So the best practice is to air-dry the film gently at room temperature, away from direct heat or hot air, to allow uniform drying and prevent crazing.

Exposing the film to light before exposure would cause fogging, not a crazed pattern. If the film is bent or folded during processing, you’d see creases or distortion, not a fine crazed pattern. Using an old fixer mainly leads to insufficient fixing or film artifacts related to residual silver halide, not crazing from drying.