What is the effect of an exhausted developer on the radiograph?

An exhausted developer will result in a radiograph that appears faded. This occurs because the developer's primary function is to chemically reduce the exposed silver halide crystals in the film, allowing them to convert into black metallic silver. When the developer is exhausted, it lacks the necessary chemicals to adequately reduce these crystals, leading to insufficient development. As a result, the areas that should be dark (the developed portions) do not achieve the appropriate density, causing the overall image to appear lighter or washed out, which is characterized as a faded radiograph.

Other options present different outcomes that are not associated with an exhausted developer. For example, an overly dark image typically results from excessive development or an excessively concentrated developer, while a too-bright image may arise from underexposure or over-fixing. Showing no change would indicate that the developer is functioning normally, which contradicts the scenario of exhaustion.