In radiographic imaging, increasing the kilovoltage is likely to result in:

Increasing the kilovoltage (kV) in radiographic imaging primarily affects the energy of the x-ray photons produced. Higher kilovoltage results in more energetic photons that are better able to penetrate tissue, which generally leads to increased scatter radiation. This happens because as the energy of the x-rays increases, they are more likely to interact with matter in a way that produces scatter. Additionally, while scatter radiation can enhance the background exposure of the image, it can also degrade image quality by reducing contrast.

In terms of receptor exposure, increasing kV typically increases the amount of exposure on the receptor, rather than decreasing it. Improved image sharpness is more closely related to factors such as motion control and the size of the focal spot, rather than kV levels directly. Therefore, while increased kilovoltage does lead to increased scatter radiation, it does not lead to decreased receptor exposure or improved image sharpness, highlighting why this choice is the most relevant.