The invention relates to a method and an x-ray examination unit for analyzing and representing x-ray projection images with an x-ray examination unit, where the function relation b.sub.U=f.sub.U.sup.-1(J.sup..about./J.sub.0) is established between the attenuation value and a material-equivalent value as a function of the energy spectrum used, and for the purposes of projection representation, the magnitude of the material-equivalent value b.sub.U of a specific material is represented as an image value.