Which of the following are ways that photons can interact with matter?

The correct answer identifies key interactions that photons can have with matter, specifically in the context of radiography. Photons can interact with the material they encounter in several significant ways: they can be transmitted through the material, absorbed by it, or scattered.

Transmission refers to the process where photons pass through a material without significant interaction, allowing images to be formed. Absorption occurs when the energy of the photons is taken up by the material, leading to a loss of energy from the photon, and this is essential for creating contrast in radiographic images. The terms "Absorption + Scatter" and "Pure scatter" describe how photons can not only be absorbed but also scattered, which can complicate the clarity of images, yet still plays a vital role in understanding how the photons interact with various tissues.

Refraction, while important in other contexts such as optics, does not directly apply to the non-optical interactions of photons in radiography. This distinction is crucial in understanding why the option that includes absorption, transmission, and scatter is most relevant in the context of how photons interact with biological tissues during imaging.