Diagnostic Sonography EXAM STUDY
GUIDE 2026 COMPLETE QUESTIONS WITH
CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS || 100%
GUARANTEED PASS <LATEST VERSION>
Diagnostic Sonography Exam Study Guide 2026: 100 Q&A
Section 1: Physics and Instrumentation (25 Questions)
1. What is the primary factor that determines the speed of sound in a medium?
A) Frequency
B) Amplitude
C) Density and Elasticity
D) Wavelength
Explanation: The speed of sound is determined by the density and stiffness
(elasticity) of the medium. It is independent of the frequency or amplitude of the
sound wave.
2. Which of the following tissues has the highest acoustic impedance?
A) Fat
B) Liver
C) Bone
D) Blood
Explanation: Acoustic impedance is the product of density and the speed of
sound. Bone is very dense and sound travels fast through it, giving it the highest
impedance among soft tissues.
3. The piezoelectric effect is:
A) The conversion of light into sound.
B) The conversion of electrical energy into mechanical energy (sound) and vice
versa.
C) The creation of heat from pressure.
,D) The reflection of sound at a boundary.
Explanation: This is the fundamental principle of ultrasound transducers. Applying
voltage causes the crystals to vibrate (producing sound), and returning sound
waves cause vibrations that generate voltage (receiving the echo).
4. What is the term for the reduction in sound wave amplitude and intensity as
it travels through a medium?
A) Reflection
B) Refraction
C) Attenuation
D) Scattering
Explanation: Attenuation is the overall weakening of the sound beam due to
absorption, scattering, and reflection.
5. Which resolution is defined as the ability to distinguish two closely spaced
structures parallel to the sound beam?
A) Lateral resolution
B) Temporal resolution
C) Contrast resolution
D) Axial resolution
Explanation: Axial (longitudinal) resolution is the ability to distinguish two
structures along the length of the beam and is primarily dependent on spatial
pulse length.
6. Increasing the transducer frequency will result in:
A) Decreased attenuation and improved penetration.
B) Increased attenuation and improved penetration.
C) Decreased attenuation and degraded penetration.
D) Increased attenuation and degraded penetration.
Explanation: Higher frequencies have shorter wavelengths, which provide better
resolution but are attenuated more easily, limiting penetration into deeper
tissues.
, 7. The "ring-down" artifact on an ultrasound image is often a result of:
A) Acoustic shadowing.
B) Reverberation artifact.
C) Mirror image artifact.
D) Refraction artifact.
Explanation: Reverberation artifact occurs when sound bounces back and forth
between two strong reflectors, creating multiple, equally spaced echoes distal to
the real structure.
8. What control should be adjusted first to improve image quality when the
image is too bright overall?
A) Depth
B) Focal Zone
C) Output Power (dB)
D) Dynamic Range
Explanation: The Output Power (or Acoustic Power) control directly affects the
amount of acoustic energy transmitted into the patient, which is the first step in
managing overall image brightness.
9. The Doppler shift is directly proportional to:
A) The density of the blood.
B) The velocity of the blood and the cosine of the Doppler angle.
C) The viscosity of the blood.
D) The diameter of the vessel.
Explanation: The Doppler shift frequency depends on the speed of the moving
reflector (blood) and the angle between the sound beam and the direction of
motion (cosine theta).
10. An aliasing artifact in spectral Doppler occurs when:
A) The Doppler gain is set too low.
B) The pulse repetition frequency (PRF) is too low for the measured velocity.
C) The wall filter is set too high.
D) The sample volume is too large.
Explanation: Aliasing happens when the Doppler shift frequency exceeds half the
GUIDE 2026 COMPLETE QUESTIONS WITH
CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS || 100%
GUARANTEED PASS <LATEST VERSION>
Diagnostic Sonography Exam Study Guide 2026: 100 Q&A
Section 1: Physics and Instrumentation (25 Questions)
1. What is the primary factor that determines the speed of sound in a medium?
A) Frequency
B) Amplitude
C) Density and Elasticity
D) Wavelength
Explanation: The speed of sound is determined by the density and stiffness
(elasticity) of the medium. It is independent of the frequency or amplitude of the
sound wave.
2. Which of the following tissues has the highest acoustic impedance?
A) Fat
B) Liver
C) Bone
D) Blood
Explanation: Acoustic impedance is the product of density and the speed of
sound. Bone is very dense and sound travels fast through it, giving it the highest
impedance among soft tissues.
3. The piezoelectric effect is:
A) The conversion of light into sound.
B) The conversion of electrical energy into mechanical energy (sound) and vice
versa.
C) The creation of heat from pressure.
,D) The reflection of sound at a boundary.
Explanation: This is the fundamental principle of ultrasound transducers. Applying
voltage causes the crystals to vibrate (producing sound), and returning sound
waves cause vibrations that generate voltage (receiving the echo).
4. What is the term for the reduction in sound wave amplitude and intensity as
it travels through a medium?
A) Reflection
B) Refraction
C) Attenuation
D) Scattering
Explanation: Attenuation is the overall weakening of the sound beam due to
absorption, scattering, and reflection.
5. Which resolution is defined as the ability to distinguish two closely spaced
structures parallel to the sound beam?
A) Lateral resolution
B) Temporal resolution
C) Contrast resolution
D) Axial resolution
Explanation: Axial (longitudinal) resolution is the ability to distinguish two
structures along the length of the beam and is primarily dependent on spatial
pulse length.
6. Increasing the transducer frequency will result in:
A) Decreased attenuation and improved penetration.
B) Increased attenuation and improved penetration.
C) Decreased attenuation and degraded penetration.
D) Increased attenuation and degraded penetration.
Explanation: Higher frequencies have shorter wavelengths, which provide better
resolution but are attenuated more easily, limiting penetration into deeper
tissues.
, 7. The "ring-down" artifact on an ultrasound image is often a result of:
A) Acoustic shadowing.
B) Reverberation artifact.
C) Mirror image artifact.
D) Refraction artifact.
Explanation: Reverberation artifact occurs when sound bounces back and forth
between two strong reflectors, creating multiple, equally spaced echoes distal to
the real structure.
8. What control should be adjusted first to improve image quality when the
image is too bright overall?
A) Depth
B) Focal Zone
C) Output Power (dB)
D) Dynamic Range
Explanation: The Output Power (or Acoustic Power) control directly affects the
amount of acoustic energy transmitted into the patient, which is the first step in
managing overall image brightness.
9. The Doppler shift is directly proportional to:
A) The density of the blood.
B) The velocity of the blood and the cosine of the Doppler angle.
C) The viscosity of the blood.
D) The diameter of the vessel.
Explanation: The Doppler shift frequency depends on the speed of the moving
reflector (blood) and the angle between the sound beam and the direction of
motion (cosine theta).
10. An aliasing artifact in spectral Doppler occurs when:
A) The Doppler gain is set too low.
B) The pulse repetition frequency (PRF) is too low for the measured velocity.
C) The wall filter is set too high.
D) The sample volume is too large.
Explanation: Aliasing happens when the Doppler shift frequency exceeds half the
