X rays, a form of high energy electromagnetic radiation used in medical imaging, were discovered by which scientist?

Introduction / Context:
X rays are extremely important in medicine, industry, and scientific research because they can pass through many materials and create images of internal structures. This question checks knowledge of the scientist who first discovered X rays, Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen. Linking major discoveries like X rays to their discoverers is a staple of general science and general knowledge examinations.

Given Data / Assumptions:
• The subject is the discovery of X rays.
• Options include W. C. Roentgen, Albert Einstein, Samuel Cohen, and Edward Taylor.
• The learner is expected to recall which physicist first observed and studied this new type of radiation in a laboratory experiment.

Concept / Approach:
The logical approach is to remember that Roentgen first noticed an unknown penetrating radiation while experimenting with cathode rays and vacuum tubes. He called this radiation X rays because its nature was initially unknown. Albert Einstein contributed to relativity and the photoelectric effect, not the discovery of X rays. Samuel Cohen and Edward Taylor are associated with weapons development. Therefore, Roentgen is the correct and widely accepted answer.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that X rays were discovered accidentally while studying cathode rays in a darkened laboratory.
Step 2: Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen observed that a fluorescent screen glowed even when shielded, showing that a new kind of penetrating radiation was being produced.
Step 3: He named this radiation X rays because X in mathematics often denotes the unknown.
Step 4: Recognise that Albert Einstein became famous for special relativity and work on light quanta, not for discovering X rays.
Step 5: Note that Samuel Cohen and Edward Taylor are names connected with nuclear weapons, not with early electromagnetic discoveries.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify by recalling that Roentgen received the first Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901 for his discovery of X rays. Nobel Prize history is a strong confirmation of his role. No similar award links X rays to Einstein, Cohen, or Taylor. Textbooks on medical imaging and physics always begin their X ray chapters by describing Roentgen's experiments, leaving little doubt about the correct answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Albert Einstein is wrong in this context because, although he was a central figure in modern physics, his work did not include the original discovery of X rays. Samuel Cohen is known for work on atomic weapons, and Edward Taylor is associated with thermonuclear weapon design. Neither has any claim related to the initial discovery of X rays. Therefore, their names are included as distractors and should be eliminated.

Common Pitfalls:
One pitfall is to select Albert Einstein because he is the most famous physicist in the list. This is a classic exam trick. To avoid such traps, always focus on the specific discovery named in the question and not just on general fame of a scientist. Remember short word pairs such as Roentgen equals X rays, Einstein equals relativity, so you can accurately connect each person with the right major contribution during the exam.

Final Answer:
X rays were discovered by W. C. Roentgen.