EDELMAN UNDERSTANDING ULTRASOUND
PHYSICS testbank Questions and Answers |
2026 Updated Practice Questions | Grade A+
• what is the prefix, symbol and value for an exponent of 10^6 -✓✓mega, M, 1,000,000
• what is the prefix, symbol and value for an exponent of 10^3 -✓✓kilo, k, 1,000
• what is the value for an exponent of 10^0 -✓✓1
• what is the prefix, symbol and value for an exponent of 10^-1 -✓✓deci, d, 1/10
• what is the prefix, symbol, and value for an exponent of 10^-2 -✓✓centi, c, 1/100
• what is the prefix, symbol, and value for an exponent of 10^-3 -✓✓milli, m, 1/1000
• what is the prefix, symbol and value for an exponent of 10^-6 -✓✓micro, u, 1/1000000
• All waves carry _______ from one location to another. -✓✓energy
• Sound is a __________ wave in which particles in the medium move. -✓✓mechanical
• Can sound travel through a vacuum? -✓✓No. Sound must travel through matter and
there is no matter in vacuums.
• there are areas of ______ and ______ in a sound wave -✓✓compression, rarefraction
• in what way does sound travel? -✓✓in a straight line
• Sound waves are _____ waves. -✓✓longitudinal
• Acoustic propagation properties are? -✓✓the effects of the medium upon the sound
wave
• Acoustic variables -✓✓changes that occur within a medium as a result of sound
traveling through that medium
• What are the 3 acoustic variables? -✓✓Pressure (P), density (ρ), and distance
(particle vibration)
• what is the acoustic variable pressure ? -✓✓concentration of force in an area
,units: pascals (Pa)
• what is the acoustic variable density? -✓✓concentration of mass in a volume
units: kg/cm^3
• what is the acoustic variable distance? -✓✓measure of particle motion
units: cm, feet, mile
• what does one of the acoustic variables have to do in order to be a sound wave? -
✓✓rhythmically oscillate
• sound waves are also known as ____ waves -✓✓acoustic
• What are the 7 acoustic parameters? -✓✓1. Period
2. Frequency
3. Amplitude
4. Power
5. Intensity
6. Wavelength
7. Propagation speed
• How do particles move in a transverse waves? -✓✓perpendicular to the wave
propagation
(ex: hold end of string and shake up and down)
• how do particles move in longitudinal waves? -✓✓in the same direction that the wave
propagates.
sound is a longitudinal wave.
• what are considered in-phase waves? -✓✓a pair of waves that have their peaks at the
same time and same location
• what are considered out-of-phase waves? -✓✓a pair of waves that have their peaks at
different points and at different times
• what kind of interference occurs with in-phase waves? -✓✓constructive interference
• what kind of interference occurs with out-phase waves? -✓✓destructive interference
• what is interference (for sound)? -✓✓when more than one sound beam travel in a
medium and can arrive at the same place at the same time. the waves then loose their
individual characteristics and combine to form a single wave.
,• when the frequency of different waves differ, _____________ interference occur -
✓✓both constrictive and destructive
• _____ describe the features of a sound wave -✓✓parameters
• what are the 7 parameters of sound? (CW) -✓✓period, frequency, amplitude, power,
intensity, wavelength, speed
• _____ is the time it takes a wave to vibrate a single cycle, or the time from the start of
one cycle to the start of the next -✓✓period
• what is period reported in? -✓✓time (microseconds)
• what is the typical value of a period? -✓✓.06-.5 us (microseconds)
• what is period determined by? -✓✓determined by the sound source only, not the
medium
• Is period adjustable? -✓✓-No. The sonographer cannot change the period while using
a basic ultrasound system with a particular transducer.
• _____ is the number of particular events that occur in a specific duration of time. in
ultrasound, this of a wave is described as the number of cycles that occurs in one
second -✓✓frequency
• what are the units for frequency? -✓✓Hertz (Hz)
1 cycle/second = 1Hz
• what is the typical value for frequency? -✓✓2 MHz to 15 MHz
• what is frequency determined by? -✓✓Sound source only, not the medium through
which the sound is traveling
• Is frequency adjustable by the sonographer? -✓✓no
• the sound wave is considered infrasound when it is -✓✓less than 20 Hz
• the sound wave is considered audible sound when it is -✓✓between 20 Hz and 20
kHz (20,000Hz)
• the sound wave is considered ultrasound when it is -✓✓greater than 20 kHz
• Why is frequency important in diagnostic sonography? -✓✓because it affects
penetration and image quality.
, • what is the relationship between frequency and period -✓✓inversely related
(p * f = 1) --> reciprocal
• What are the 3 bigness parameters? (CW) -✓✓P.I.A power amplitude intensity
• ____ is the bigness of a wave. it is the difference between the maximum value and the
average or undisturbed value. this is also the difference between the minimum and
average. -✓✓amplitude
• what are the units for amplitude? -✓✓dB
pressure -- pascals
density -- g/cm^3
partical motion -- cm, in, etc
• what is amplitude determined by? -✓✓- Initially the sound source
-But it decrease as it propagates through the body ( rate of decrease depends on the
medium)
• Is amplitude adjustable? -✓✓Initial amplitude is, yes.
• what is the difference between amplitude and peak to peak amplitude -✓✓amplitude
is measured from the middle to the max, while peak to peak is the difference between
the max and min values
• ___ is the rate of energy transfer or the rate at which work is performed. -✓✓power
• what are the units for power? -✓✓Watts or J/s
• what are the typical values for power? -✓✓.004-.09 watts ( 4-90 milliwatts)
• What is power determined by? -✓✓sound source (initially)
• Is power adjustable? -✓✓Initial power is adjustable yes via the U/S machine.
• How are amplitude and power related? -✓✓Both describe size or magnitude of a
wave.
Directly related. When one increases, so does the other.
( power is proportional to the amplitude squared)
• __ is the concentration of energy in a sound beam. -✓✓intensity
PHYSICS testbank Questions and Answers |
2026 Updated Practice Questions | Grade A+
• what is the prefix, symbol and value for an exponent of 10^6 -✓✓mega, M, 1,000,000
• what is the prefix, symbol and value for an exponent of 10^3 -✓✓kilo, k, 1,000
• what is the value for an exponent of 10^0 -✓✓1
• what is the prefix, symbol and value for an exponent of 10^-1 -✓✓deci, d, 1/10
• what is the prefix, symbol, and value for an exponent of 10^-2 -✓✓centi, c, 1/100
• what is the prefix, symbol, and value for an exponent of 10^-3 -✓✓milli, m, 1/1000
• what is the prefix, symbol and value for an exponent of 10^-6 -✓✓micro, u, 1/1000000
• All waves carry _______ from one location to another. -✓✓energy
• Sound is a __________ wave in which particles in the medium move. -✓✓mechanical
• Can sound travel through a vacuum? -✓✓No. Sound must travel through matter and
there is no matter in vacuums.
• there are areas of ______ and ______ in a sound wave -✓✓compression, rarefraction
• in what way does sound travel? -✓✓in a straight line
• Sound waves are _____ waves. -✓✓longitudinal
• Acoustic propagation properties are? -✓✓the effects of the medium upon the sound
wave
• Acoustic variables -✓✓changes that occur within a medium as a result of sound
traveling through that medium
• What are the 3 acoustic variables? -✓✓Pressure (P), density (ρ), and distance
(particle vibration)
• what is the acoustic variable pressure ? -✓✓concentration of force in an area
,units: pascals (Pa)
• what is the acoustic variable density? -✓✓concentration of mass in a volume
units: kg/cm^3
• what is the acoustic variable distance? -✓✓measure of particle motion
units: cm, feet, mile
• what does one of the acoustic variables have to do in order to be a sound wave? -
✓✓rhythmically oscillate
• sound waves are also known as ____ waves -✓✓acoustic
• What are the 7 acoustic parameters? -✓✓1. Period
2. Frequency
3. Amplitude
4. Power
5. Intensity
6. Wavelength
7. Propagation speed
• How do particles move in a transverse waves? -✓✓perpendicular to the wave
propagation
(ex: hold end of string and shake up and down)
• how do particles move in longitudinal waves? -✓✓in the same direction that the wave
propagates.
sound is a longitudinal wave.
• what are considered in-phase waves? -✓✓a pair of waves that have their peaks at the
same time and same location
• what are considered out-of-phase waves? -✓✓a pair of waves that have their peaks at
different points and at different times
• what kind of interference occurs with in-phase waves? -✓✓constructive interference
• what kind of interference occurs with out-phase waves? -✓✓destructive interference
• what is interference (for sound)? -✓✓when more than one sound beam travel in a
medium and can arrive at the same place at the same time. the waves then loose their
individual characteristics and combine to form a single wave.
,• when the frequency of different waves differ, _____________ interference occur -
✓✓both constrictive and destructive
• _____ describe the features of a sound wave -✓✓parameters
• what are the 7 parameters of sound? (CW) -✓✓period, frequency, amplitude, power,
intensity, wavelength, speed
• _____ is the time it takes a wave to vibrate a single cycle, or the time from the start of
one cycle to the start of the next -✓✓period
• what is period reported in? -✓✓time (microseconds)
• what is the typical value of a period? -✓✓.06-.5 us (microseconds)
• what is period determined by? -✓✓determined by the sound source only, not the
medium
• Is period adjustable? -✓✓-No. The sonographer cannot change the period while using
a basic ultrasound system with a particular transducer.
• _____ is the number of particular events that occur in a specific duration of time. in
ultrasound, this of a wave is described as the number of cycles that occurs in one
second -✓✓frequency
• what are the units for frequency? -✓✓Hertz (Hz)
1 cycle/second = 1Hz
• what is the typical value for frequency? -✓✓2 MHz to 15 MHz
• what is frequency determined by? -✓✓Sound source only, not the medium through
which the sound is traveling
• Is frequency adjustable by the sonographer? -✓✓no
• the sound wave is considered infrasound when it is -✓✓less than 20 Hz
• the sound wave is considered audible sound when it is -✓✓between 20 Hz and 20
kHz (20,000Hz)
• the sound wave is considered ultrasound when it is -✓✓greater than 20 kHz
• Why is frequency important in diagnostic sonography? -✓✓because it affects
penetration and image quality.
, • what is the relationship between frequency and period -✓✓inversely related
(p * f = 1) --> reciprocal
• What are the 3 bigness parameters? (CW) -✓✓P.I.A power amplitude intensity
• ____ is the bigness of a wave. it is the difference between the maximum value and the
average or undisturbed value. this is also the difference between the minimum and
average. -✓✓amplitude
• what are the units for amplitude? -✓✓dB
pressure -- pascals
density -- g/cm^3
partical motion -- cm, in, etc
• what is amplitude determined by? -✓✓- Initially the sound source
-But it decrease as it propagates through the body ( rate of decrease depends on the
medium)
• Is amplitude adjustable? -✓✓Initial amplitude is, yes.
• what is the difference between amplitude and peak to peak amplitude -✓✓amplitude
is measured from the middle to the max, while peak to peak is the difference between
the max and min values
• ___ is the rate of energy transfer or the rate at which work is performed. -✓✓power
• what are the units for power? -✓✓Watts or J/s
• what are the typical values for power? -✓✓.004-.09 watts ( 4-90 milliwatts)
• What is power determined by? -✓✓sound source (initially)
• Is power adjustable? -✓✓Initial power is adjustable yes via the U/S machine.
• How are amplitude and power related? -✓✓Both describe size or magnitude of a
wave.
Directly related. When one increases, so does the other.
( power is proportional to the amplitude squared)
• __ is the concentration of energy in a sound beam. -✓✓intensity
