Which change will increase the contrast resolution of a digital radiographic system?

• A. Increased bit depth
• B. Increased receptor size
• C. Decreased DEL size
• D. Increased exposure latitude

Answer: (A)

Contrast resolution is about distinguishing subtle differences between adjacent gray shades in an image. In a digital system, how many gray levels you can display is determined by the bit depth. Increasing the bit depth adds more possible gray levels, reducing quantization steps and allowing finer tonal distinctions. That directly enhances the ability to separate small density differences, so contrast resolution improves.

The other changes mainly affect spatial resolution or exposure flexibility rather than the number of gray shades the system can represent, so they don’t improve contrast resolution as effectively.