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Waves, Light Waves, Sound Waves and Ultrasound (The Physics of)

Chapter · April 2018

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-75599-1_16

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16 Waves, Light Waves, Sound Waves, Ultrasound (the physics of)

16.1 Waves
Mechanical waves (sound waves, waves on water) are a mechanism for transferring energy through a
medium (the air or water) without transferring matter. Another definition is: A periodic disturbance in some
property of the medium, the medium itself remaining relatively at rest. Waves have the following
measurable properties:
1). Wavelength (symbol ), is the distance between two successive crests (in metres, m). A typical value
is ~500nm for light, and ~20 cm for sound.
2). Frequency (f), is the number of  that pass by in 1s (in hertz, Hz). Typical values are 500 THz for light,
500 Hz for sound. Frequency is related to pitch (for sound) and colour (for visible light).
3). Period (T) is the time it takes for one  to pass by (in seconds, s).
4). Speed (v), is how fast a wave is moving in the direction of propagation (in metres per second, m/s).
The speed of light travelling through air is 3  108 m/s, while for sound, speed in air is about 330 m/s. In
tissue, sound moves faster, at about 1560 m/s.
5). Amplitude (A) is the maximum displacement from the mean (or rest) position. For example the vertical
distance between a trough and a crest of a wave in water is two times the amplitude. Amplitude (or
intensity) is related to loudness of sound and brightness of light and to the amount of energy being carried
by the wave.
6). Phase refers to how far out of step the oscillation of one part of a wave is when compared with another
part. A phase of 0o or 360 means that the two parts are in step, while a phase difference of 180o means
that the two points are completely out of step. Differences in phase between the sounds entering each ear
allow us to localise the source of a sound.
Some of these quantities are related to each other by the following formulae: v  f ; f = 1/T; E = h × f.

Electromagnetic waves include (in increasing order of frequency), microwaves, infra-red waves, visible red
light, visible blue light, ultraviolet, x-rays and gamma rays. (Low frequency) electromagnetic waves do not
require a medium to travel through, but are able to travel through transparent media. They can also travel
through “empty” space. They are not mechanical waves, they are oscillations in the magnitude and
direction of electric and magnetic fields. They do not cause the medium to vibrate and are called “non-
ionising radiation”. They cause the electrons in the atoms of the medium to vibrate in step with the electric
field. Low frequency em waves include microwaves, and em waves used in radio, TV, cell phone, remote
control devices and radar.

Our ears can detect audible sound, while infra-sound and ultrasound are both inaudible. Our eye can see
visible light, while infra-red and ultraviolet are both invisible.

1. The amplitude of a wave is related to which of the following?

A. the distance between two successive crests.
B. the number of wavelengths that pass by per second.
C. the speed of the wave’s travel.
D. the amount of energy it carries.

Answer is D: The greater the amplitude, the greater the energy carried.
2. Which is the BEST definition of a wave?
A. The method by which the energy carried by visible light is propagated.
B. Travelling oscillations in the magnitude and direction of electric and magnetic fields that do not
require a material medium.
C. A periodic disturbance in some property of the medium, the medium itself remains (relatively) at
rest.
D. A mechanism for the transfer of energy without the transfer of matter.

Answer is D: The other choices also describe a wave but not in the most general terms.

3. What does the term “wavelength” mean when applied to a wave?

A. The number of complete cycles that pass by in one second.
B. The distance between two successive crests (or compressions).
C. The time it takes for one wavelength to pass by.
D. How fast a wave is moving in its direction of propagation.

Answer is B: Wavelength is the shortest distance between two points that are displaying the same
displacement.

4. The wave equation may be written in symbols as v  f where f stands for frequency, v stands for
velocity and  stands for wavelength. If a wave has a speed of 3  108 m/s what is its frequency and
wavelength?

A. f = 10 000 Hz and  = 0.0003 m.

B. f = 5  1014 Hz and  = 6  10-7 m.
C. f = 6  104 Hz and  = 0.5  10-4 m.
D. f = 2 MHz and  = 3  105 m.

Answer is B: Which combination of frequency and wavelength will give the speed 3  108 m/s?
v  f = 5  1014 Hz  6  10-7 m = 30  1014-7 = 30  107 = 3  108

5. The wave equation may be written in symbols as v  f where f stands for frequency, v stands for
velocity and  stands for wavelength. If a wave has a speed of 2  108 m/s what is its frequency and
wavelength?
A. f = 4  104 Hz and  = 0.5  10-4 m.
B. f = 5  1014 Hz and  = 4  10-7 m.
C. f = 10 000 Hz and  = 0.0002 m.
D. f = 2 MHz and  = 1  105 m.

Answer is B: Which combination of frequency and wavelength will give the speed 2  108 m/s?
v  f = 5  1014 Hz  4  10-7 m = 20  1014-7 = 20  107 = 2  108

6. What name is given to the change in the observed frequency of a wave (or its reflection) because of
the motion of the source (or the reflecting object) or of the observer?
A. the beat frequency
B. the red shift
C. phase inversion
D. the Doppler effect

Answer is D: The change in frequency when the source of the (say) sound is in motion relative to the
observer is called the Doppler effect. (The red shift in astronomy is due to the Doppler effect).
7. Which of the statements about sound and light is INCORRECT?
A. Sound is a mechanical wave while light does not require a medium to travel in.
B. Light is a transverse wave phenomenon while sound is a longitudinal wave phenomenon.
C. The speed of light is much greater than the speed of sound.
D. Ultrasound and ultraviolet light have frequencies less than infrasound and infrared light.

Answer is D: In fact both ultrasound and ultraviolet light have frequencies GREATER than infrasound and
infrared light respectively.

8. A wave may be defined as which of the following?

A. The oscillation of a particle of the medium.
B. A series of crests and compressions that propagate through space.
C. A mechanism for the transfer of energy without transferring matter.
D. The transport of the medium due to the oscillation of its particles.

Answer is C: Essentially, a wave transfers energy without any matter moving away from its location.

9. Which of the following definitions of a wave is the best?

A. A wave is an event or disturbance that is localised at a particular location.
B. A mechanical wave is a periodic disturbance in a material medium.
C. Waves are a means of transferring energy without transferring matter.
D. Waves are a phenomenon characterised by their wavelength and their displacement of the medium
from the mean position.

Answer is C: this is the classic definition of a wave. Choices B and D are also true statements.

10. Which quantity most closely describes the amount of energy that is transported by a wave?
A. Frequency.
B. Amplitude.
C. Wavelength.
D. Velocity.

Answer is B: Energy and amplitude are directly related.

11. What is the amplitude of a wave?

A. the maximum displacement from the rest position.
B. the distance between adjacent troughs.
C. the energy carried by the wave.
D. the frequency multiplied by the wavelength.

Answer is A: As a wave passes through a medium, the particles of the medium are shifted (displaced) from
the position occupied before they were disturbed by the wave. The amplitude of the wave is the maximum
displacement.

12. Waves have properties (such as wavelength, frequency, period, speed, amplitude, intensity,
direction and phase) which can be measured. Some of these properties are related. That is, if one of a pair
of related properties is known, then the other can be worked out. Which of the following lists contain
properties that are all Unrelated to each other?
A. Amplitude, period, intensity, phase
B. Frequency, amplitude, period, wavelength
C. direction, speed, amplitude, phase
D. Phase, wavelength, speed, frequency
Answer is C: Frequency and wavelength are related, as are amplitude and intensity

13. The wave equation for electromagnetic radiation may be stated (in words) as “the product of
wavelength and frequency is a constant called the speed of light”. The speed of light is 3  108 m/s. Use
this information to determine the frequency of an electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength of 600
nanometres.
A. 5  1014 Hz
B. 2  10-17 Hz.
C. 1.8  1014 Hz.
D. 1.8  1011 Hz.

Answer is C: v = f so f = v/ = 3  108 m/s ÷ 600nm = 3  108 m/s ÷ 600 × 10-9m = 1800 × 108- -9 =
1800 × 10-17 = 1.8 × 1014 Hz

14. Given the formulae: speed = frequency  wavelength (v = f) and frequency is one over the
period (f = 1/T), what is the wavelength of a light wave (speed = 3  108 m/s) whose period is 2  10-15
seconds?
A. 1.5 10-7 m
B. 6  10-7 m
C. 1.67  106 m
D. 1.5  1023 m

Answer is B: First determine the frequency: f = 1/T = 1/(2  10-15) = 0.5 × 1015 Hz
Then rearrange the wave equation for wavelength : v = f so  = v/f
Then substitute the numbers:  = v/f = 3  108 m/s ÷ 0.5 × 1015 Hz = 6 × 10-7 m

15. What is the quantity that is most characteristic of an electromagnetic wave?

A. amplitude.
B. wavelength.
C. frequency.
D. velocity.

Answer is C: Frequency of an em wave does not change as it travels through different media, while the
other three quantities do.

16. In a wave, what is the distance between two adjacent troughs called?
A. The period
B. The displacement
C. The amplitude
D. The wavelength

Answer is D: The length of a wave is the distance between the two nearest points that are undergoing the
same movement. This is happening at two adjacent troughs (or two adjacent crests too).

17. The wave equation for electromagnetic radiation may be stated as “the product of wavelength
and frequency is a constant called the speed of light”. The speed of light is 3  108 m/s. Use this
information to determine the frequency of an electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength of 600nm.
A. 6  1014 Hz
B. 1.5  1014 Hz.
C. 1.67  10-15 Hz.
D. 0.6  1010 Hz.

Answer is B: v = f so f = v/ = 3  108 m/s ÷ 500nm = 3  108 m/s ÷ 500 × 10-9m = 1500 × 108- -9 =
1500 × 1017 = 1.5 × 1014 Hz
16.2 Light Waves
Electromagnetic radiation that stimulates the sensation of vision in our eyes is called visible light. This
radiation is also “non-ionising” in that the energy it carries is insufficient to produce ions in the medium
through which it passes. Light that passes through the curved surfaces of our cornea and the eye’s lens
has its direction of travel changed. That is, the direction of travel of the light ray is changed or refracted. In
this way our eye can focus the light coming from an object at any distance away. Light or “visible” light has
a range of frequencies from red light (3.9 × 1014 Hz) to blue (7.5 × 1014 Hz). Our eye is able to distinguish
between the different frequencies and perceives them as different colours. Our eye can see visible light,
while infra-red and ultraviolet are both invisible.

A LASER is a source of light that is medically useful because the light it produces is monochromatic (all of
one wavelength), “coherent” (is oscillating in phase) and the beam is very parallel (it does not diverge). This
means the energy in the beam can be focussed to a tiny spot so that it is intense enough to vaporise the
tissue at that spot. Hence a laser may be used as a surgical tool to cut through tissue.

1. Visible light waves are examples of

A. electromagnetic waves.
B. mechanical waves.
C. longitudinal waves.
D. compressional waves.

Answer is A: visible light are electromagnetic waves that are detectable by the human eye.

2. Which phrase would best describe waves of dim violet light?

A. High frequency and high amplitude.
B. Low frequency and high amplitude.
C. High frequency and low amplitude.
D. Low frequency and low amplitude.

Answer is C: The violet end of the spectrum has waves of higher frequency than the red end; dim light
refers to low amplitude light.

3. The phenomenon of refraction is due to

A. light rays bending when they enter a different medium
B. the decrease in speed when a ray enters a less dense medium
C. the difference in refractive indices of two media
D. the different speeds with which different frequencies of light travel through media.

Answer is C: In choice D, the different speeds with which different frequencies of light travel through
media are due to the different refractive indices of the different frequencies.

4. Consider the situation where a light wave travelling in air strikes a glass surface with an angle of
incidence of 20o. Which of the following statements is true?
A. The angle formed by the incident ray and the normal will be 20 o .
B. The angle of refraction will be greater than 20o.
C. The angle formed by the incident ray and the glass surface is 20 o .
D. There will be no refracted ray. That is, total internal reflection will occur.

Answer is A: The “angle of incidence” is defined as angle formed by the incident ray and a line
perpendicular with the surface (i.e. the “normal”). Total internal reflection may occur when light passes
from glass to air, not air to glass.

5. The term ‘refraction’ may be applied to which of the following?

A. The effect on light rays as they enter the cornea of the eye.
B. Light rays from an object meeting at a point to form a sharp image.
C. A light ray travelling away from a surface at the same angle that the light ray approached the
surface.
D. A light ray travelling through glass with a faster speed than it would have in air.

Answer is A: The cornea bends (refracts) light that enters the eye.

6. What is a convex lens? One that

A. can accommodate to different focal lengths.
B. will cause light rays to diverge.
C. is thicker in the middle than at the edge.
D. will correct for myopia (short sightedness).

Answer is C: A convex or converging lens is “fat” in the middle.

7. In the electromagnetic spectrum, the frequencies that we call visible light have values that lie
above
A. the ultraviolet and below the infrared
B. the infrared and below microwaves
C. microwaves but below ultraviolet
D. the infrared but below the radio range

Answer is C: Microwaves are low frequency em radiation while UV radiation is relatively high. The
frequencies of visible light are between the two.

8. In which of the following sequences are the types of electromagnetic radiation listed in correct
order of energy with lowest energy first and highest energy last?
A. visible, ultraviolet C, ultraviolet A, x-rays.
B. microwaves, infrared, ultraviolet, gamma rays.
C. x-rays, ultraviolet, visible, microwaves.
D. infrared, microwaves, x-rays, gamma rays.

Answer is B: Choice C is in reverse order; In choice A, UVC has higher frequency than UVA; it is
possible for an x-ray frequency (e.g. from a hospital linear accelerator) to be higher than a particular
gamma ray (e.g. from radioactive technetium).

9. The energy carried by a photon of electromagnetic radiation is proportional to its

A. frequency
B. speed
C. wavelength
D. amplitude

Answer is A: When referring to the energy in a photon (a packet) of radiation, the equation E = h × f
relates the energy E, of a photon to its frequency, f.

10. Ultraviolet radiation is damaging to the eye because:

A. the heat produced as it is absorbed distorts the cornea.
B. it causes an increase in the pressure in the eyeball which results in glaucoma.
C. the energy of the radiation destroys the cones in the fovea.
D. the energy of ultraviolet radiation is mainly absorbed in the lens which harms the cells.

Answer is D: UV radiation is absorbed by the eye lens and the energy of the absorbed photons can
break the bonds between atoms.

11. Which of the following types of electromagnetic radiation is most likely to be responsible for the
incidence of skin cancers?
A. infrared
B. ultraviolet-A (UVA)
C. ultraviolet-B (UVB)
D. ultraviolet-C (UVC)
Answer is C: While UVC has higher energy than UVB, and therefore is potentially more damaging,
however, UVC does not reach the ground as it does not penetrate the Earth’s atmosphere.

12. To what radiation does the term ‘non-ionising radiation’ refer? To radiation that consists of
photons with energy that is:
A. not high enough to knock electrons out of atoms but is high enough to produce ions.
B. sufficient to generate ions in the material that the photons enter.
C. not sufficient to generate ions in the material that the photons enter.
D. high enough to knock electrons out of atoms but not high enough to produce ions.

Answer is C: The term “non-ionising” implies that ions are not produced. Ions are produced when one or
more electrons are removed from an atom.

13. An oscillating magnetic field will be produced by:

A. an electric field of constant magnitude.
B. a permanent magnet moving at constant speed.
C. the direct current that powers portable radios.
D. the alternating current in household electrical appliances.

Answer is D: An alternating current (one whose direction reverses direction frequently in a second) will
produce a changing (oscillating) magnetic field. Whereas a steady current will produce a steady
magnetic field.

14. What can be said about the collimated beam of electromagnetic energy produced by an Nd-YAG
laser?
A. It has a higher frequency than visible light energy.
B. It stimulates the production of light as it passes through air.
C. It is produced when electrons change energy levels.
D. It consists of waves of two or more frequencies.

Answer is C: The em energy produced by a laser occurs when electron drop to a lower energy level from
their “excited” state. An Nd-YAG laser produces one frequency of near infra-red light (which is of lower
frequency than visible light).

15. Material that is unsuitable for use in a LASER lacks which of the following properties?
A. A metastable excited state.
B. A short-lived ground state.
C. The ability to spontaneously emit radiation.
D. A long-lived ground state.

Answer is A: A metastable excited state – that is, one that persists for longer than an excited state
normally exists, is required for lasing action.

16. Consider an electron that is in its ground state in an atom. When this electron moves to another
state in the atom it is said to have
A. gained energy and to be in an excited state
B. gained energy and to be in a metastable state
C. lost energy and undergone stimulated emission
D. lost energy and to be part of a population inversion

Answer is A: “Ground state” is the state of lowest energy, hence it can only move to a higher energy
state. In this case it is said to be excited.

17. What property of a LASER makes it suitable for surgical procedures? A LASER:
A. beam’s energy can be focussed onto a very small spot to vaporise tissue.
B. can be passed down an optical fibre in an endoscope.
C. beam produces monochromatic (all of one wavelength) photons.
D. emits photons which all have the same energy.
Answer is A: The ability to vaporise tissue means a laser can “cut” through tissue at the point of
vaporisation.

18. What is a concave lens? One that

A. can accommodate to different focal lengths.
B. will cause light rays to converge.
C. is thicker in the middle than at the edge.
D. will correct for myopia (short sightedness).

Answer is D: Concave lens will cause light rays to diverge. So can be used to correct for short-sightedness
as they shift the focal point further away from the eye’s lens.

19. Which of the following conditions may be corrected by a diverging (concave lens)?
A. Hyperopia
B. Myopia
C. Presbyopia
D. Red minus dichroma

Answer is B: In myopia, the image forms ventral (in front of) the retina. A diverging lens will extend the
focal length of a myopic eye so that the image falls onto the retina.

16.3 Sound
Sound waves require a solid, liquid or gas (the medium) to travel through. They are mechanical waves.
They cause particles (atoms and molecules) of the medium to move (vibrate). The young healthy ear has
an audible range of ~20 Hz to ~20 000 Hz. However, sounds of different frequencies stimulate our hearing
by different amounts. Our ear is most "sensitive" between 500-6000 Hz. It is not very sensitive below 200
Hz or above 12 000 Hz. A sound’s intensity (in watts per square metre, W/m 2 ) is the objectively measurable
amount of sound energy carried by a sound. A value as low as 10-12 W/m2 is at our threshold of hearing
and may be called silence. The human perception of the loudness of a sound is called “sound level” and
is expressed in decibels (dB). A sound level of 0 dB is perceived as silence. This does not mean that the
amount of sound energy is zero, just that we can't hear it! We can also hear a sound energy of 1 W/m 2 as
a painful (and ear damaging) sound level of 120 dB.

Two sounds that differ by 0.1 dB can barely be perceived as different in loudness while a sound that is 3 dB
louder than another, sounds twice as loud. Continuous noise at 90 dB will, over time, produce hearing
damage without causing pain.

1. Which of the following statements about sound and light is INCORRECT?

A. they both extend over a range of frequencies
B. sound is a longitudinal wave and light is a transverse wave
C. the speed of travel of light is fast while sound travels relatively slowly
D. sound will travel through a vacuum while light requires a transparent medium.

Answer is D: Sound cannot travel through a vacuum, but all em radiation including light, can.

2. What is the measure known as “sound level”?

A. a subjective measure of the perceived loudness of a sound (in dB).
B. a graph of the levels of sound of different frequencies that we perceive as equal in loudness (in
phon).
C. the frequency of the sound that produces the loudest response in a healthy hearing mechanism (in
Hz).
D. the objectively measured amount of sound energy carried by a sound wave (in W/m 2).

Answer is A: Sound level is subjective, in that it is perceived by the hearer and depends on the
frequency/ies of the sound. The unit is the decibel.

3. What is the speed of sound in water at 20oC?

A. 330 m/s
B. 1480 m/s
C. 2540 m/s
D. 3400 m/s

Answer is B: If you have an idea of the approximate value of the speed of sound in air, choices A, C & D
can be easily rejected.

4. How may sound waves be characterised? As:

A. Longitudinal waves because the oscillations that they cause are along a line at right angles to the
direction of propagation.
B. Mechanical waves because they can only travel through a material medium.
C. Waves because they allow for the oscillation of a medium without the transfer of energy.
D. Compressions and rarefactions because the nature of the oscillation of their electric and magnetic
fields.

Answer is B: Sound waves require a medium. Longitudinal waves oscillate parallel to their direction of
propagation. Electric & magnetic fields are not involved. Choice C is correct but not specific enough.

5. If the frequency of a sound is 1000 Hz, what will its period will be?
A. 1 second
B. 0.1 second
C. 0.001 second
D. 0.0001 second

Answer is C: Period = 1/frequency, hence = 1/1000 = 0.001s

6. A sound wave of frequency 1000 Hz is travelling through air with a speed of 330 m/s. What is its
wavelength?
A. 33 cm.
B. 330 cm
C. 33 m.
D. 330 m.

Answer is A: Rearrange the wave equation for wavelength : v = f so  = v/f

Then substitute:  = 330m/s ÷ 1000Hz = 0.33m = 33cm

7. As the frequency of a sound in air is made to decrease, which of the following will happen?
A. The period will increase.
B. The wavelength will decrease.
C. The amplitude will decrease.
D. The velocity will decrease.
Answer is A: Frequency and period are inversely related, so as frequency decreases the period of the wave
will increase.

8. What is the unit called the decibel (dB) used in the measurement of?
A. sound frequency (pitch).
B. sound intensity (energy).
C. sound pressure.
D. sound level (loudness).

Answer is D: Sound level uses the unit dB. Frequency uses hertz, Intensity uses watts per square metre,
pressure uses pascal.

9. An increase in sound level of 20 dB represents an increase in intensity (W/m 2) of:

A. 10 000.
B. 1000.
C. 200.
D. 100.

Answer is D: If the sound level difference between two sounds whose intensities are I 1 and I2 is 20 dB, 20 =
10 × log( ), so a sound level of 20dB means that the log term must be 2. Now the log(100) = 2, hence I 2/I1
= 100. Thus one sound is 100 times the intensity of the other.

10. When a sound with a particular frequency is played at a loudness of 60 dB, and compared to the
same sound played at 10 dB, what can be said about the intensity (in W/m2) of the 60 dB sound? It is:
A. 50 times more intense than the 10 dB sound.
B. 5000 times more intense than the 10 dB sound.
C. 50,000 times more intense than the 10 dB sound.
D. 100,000 times more intense than the 10 dB sound.

Answer is D: If a sound is 10 times more intense (10 × more W/m2) than another sound of the same
frequency, then it is 10 decibel (1 bel) louder. If it is 100 times more intense, it sounds 20 decibel louder.
Hence, remembering the logarithmic nature of the loudness scale, a sound that is 50dB (5 bel) louder than
another, is also 100,000 times (105) more intense.

11. How much louder does a sound of 30dB sound when compared to the same sound played at 10dB?
A. two times louder
B. 4 times louder
C. 20 times louder
D. 100 times louder

Answer is D: 1bel = 10dB. Each time sound intensity increases by a factor of 10, sound level increases
by one bel. Thus if a sound is 2 bel (20dB) louder it is 10 × 10 = 100 times louder.

12. Which of the following sound levels, if prolonged, will damage the hearing mechanism of the ear without
being perceived as painful?
A. 50 dB
B. 70 dB
C. 90 dB
D. 120 dB

Answer is C: Prolonged exposure to 90 dB will result in hearing loss. So will 120 dB but that will be
noticeably painful.
16.4 Ultrasound
Ultrasound is inaudible sound above 20,000Hz in frequency. Medical ultrasound is high frequency
longitudinal waves of frequency 2 MHz or 4 MHz or thereabouts. Ultrasound is a mechanical wave that
must travel in a medium. It is not an electromagnetic radiation so is non-ionising. It is fundamentally
different from electro-magnetic radiation. Ultrasound is produced in the transducer (a piezoelectric crystal
that can vibrate very rapidly when electrified with high frequency AC voltage). The transducer is coupled to
the skin with acoustic gel. This excludes air from between the transducer and the skin which would cause
ultrasound to reflect from it.

Diagnostic imaging with ultrasound projects ultrasound into the body and detects the ultrasound that is
reflected from the boundaries between organs that differ in their density and elasticity. Ultrasound travels at
about 1540 m/s in tissue and is reflected at (i.e. echoes from) the interface between one tissue and the next
as long as their impedance differs (impedance = density × speed of sound). Echoes are "loudest" from
bone-tissue and air-tissue interfaces. From the time taken for the reflections to return and the intensity of
the echo, an ultrasound image is reconstructed from the boundaries that produced the reflections. That is,
from the boundaries between organs or tissues.

Ultrasound is not used to image lung (or bowel with gas) as the very different densities of gas and tissue
causes all the ultrasound to be reflected. Ultrasound can be made to deliver energy to tissues deep to the
skin, that is, to warm tissues. That is, ultrasound can be used in physiotherapy as well as for medical
imaging. The amount of energy delivered is not sufficient to ionise atoms or molecules so ultrasound is
non-ionising radiation.

If ultrasound reflects from a moving object such as the beating walls of the heart or the red blood cells
flowing in a blood vessel, the ultrasound is reflected with a changed frequency. This change-of-frequency
phenomenon is known as the Doppler effect so the examination modality is known as Doppler ultrasound.
Quantitative measurements such as speed of blood flow, rate of heart beat, volume of blood remaining in a
ventricle after systole, can be made with this modality.

1. What frequencies are attributed to the inaudible sound known as Ultrasound?

A. greater than 2 kHz.
B. greater than 2 MHz.
C. greater than 20 000 Hz or less than 20 Hz.
D. less than 20 Hz.

Answer is B: Frequencies less than 20Hz are call infrasound. Frequencies greater than 2kHz (2000Hz) are
still audible. The best answer is 2 MHz. While this is frequency typical of medical ultrasound, any frequency
greater than 20,000 Hz is inaudible and called ultrasound.

2. Prior to an imaging examination using ultrasound, the skin surface is coated with a gel substance
known as a “coupling agent”. What is the purpose of the gel?
A. To reduce the friction between the skin and the ultrasound transducer.
B. To eliminate air, which would reflect the ultrasound, from between the skin and transducer.
C. Since ultrasound travels faster through denser materials, the time delay caused by travelling
through air is avoided by using gel.
D. To avoid an unpleasantly cold sensation that would otherwise be produced by the ultrasound
transducer.
Answer is B: The impedance difference between air and skin is large, so most of the ultrasound would
reflect from the skin, rather than enter the body. Using gel avoids the ultrasound passing through air.

3. Which statement about a Doppler ultrasound stethoscope is true?

A. They amplify the echo produced when ultrasound strikes a boundary between two tissues of
different impedance.
B. Their operation depends on the reflected ultrasound being at a different frequency to the emitted
ultrasound.
C. They emit ionising radiation.
D. The depth of penetration of ultrasound into tissue increases as the frequency of ultrasound
increases.

Answer is B: A Doppler “stethoscope” produces ultrasound and detects the reflected ultrasound from
moving red blood cells (or the moving heart wall). The motion of the object reflecting the ultrasound causes
the reflected ultrasound to be shifted in frequency. Its depth of penetration in human tissue DEcreases as it
frequency increases.

4. Which of the following is considered to be the diagnostic ultrasound frequency range?

A. 1 mHz to 15 mHz
B. 10 Hz to 20 Hz
C. 20 Hz to 20 kHz
D. 1 MHz to 20 MHz

Answer is D: Ultrasound has frequencies greater than 20 kHz. In medical applications, the frequencies
used are greater than 1 MHz.

5. What will cause a large percentage of the ultrasound energy to be reflected from the interface between
two media? This will happen if:
A. The acoustic impedance of each medium is the same.
B. The speed of ultrasound in the two media differs greatly.
C. The acoustic impedance of each medium is very different.
D. The densities of the media are different.

Answer is C: A large difference in acoustic impedance will cause a large reflection. Impedance depends on
both speed of sound in the medium and the density of the medium.

6. Ultrasound radiation may be characterised as which one of the following?

A. ionising radiation
B. audible radiation
C. longitudinal waves
D. electromagnetic waves

Answer is C: Ultrasound, and audible sound, is a longitudinal wave. It is neither ionising nor
electromagnetic.

7. What is Ultrasound?
A. frequencies less than 50 Hz and more than 20 000 Hz.
B. a mechanical wave (it requires a medium).
C. a form of ionising radiation.
D. more penetrating (in human tissues) as its frequency increases.

Answer is B: Ultrasound is a mechanical wave. Its depth of penetration in human tissue DEcreases as it
frequency increases.
8. What will a sound of frequency 250 000 Hz be?
A. audible.
B. painful to listen to.
C. ultrasonic.
D. close to the threshold of hearing.

Answer is C: 250kHz is way above the upper limit of human hearing so is ultrasound.

9. What is ultrasound least useful for examining?

A. heart.
B. lungs.
C. kidneys.
D. uterus.

B: The lungs contain air which reflect all of the ultrasound reaching it, making the lungs opaque to
ultrasound.

10 The change in pitch (frequency) of a sound when there is relative motion between the sound source
and the human observer is known as the:
A. resonance effect.
B. interference effect.
C. diffraction effect.
D. Doppler effect.

Answer is D: This change of frequency effect is apparent when listening to the sound of a motor vehicle
engine as it approaches you and then as it continues past you.

11. Basically, what does a Doppler ultrasound examination for peripheral vascular disease involve?
A. the measurement of blood speed.
B. listening to the reflected ultrasound frequencies.
C. using ultrasound to produce an image on a screen.
D. increasing blood flow by warming the deep tissues.

Answer is A: The faster the red blood cells are moving, the greater will be the difference in frequency
between the incoming and reflected ultrasound frequency. Rbc move faster as they pass through a
narrowing in a blood vessel. Ultrasound is inaudible, so you can’t hear the reflected ultrasound.

12. A Doppler ultrasound device produces ultrasound of frequency 5 MHz and the echo from red blood
cells has a frequency of 5 002 500 Hz. The beat frequency produced will be:
A. inaudible.
B. 250 Hz.
C. 2500 Hz.
D. 0.25 MHz.

Answer is C: Beat frequency is the difference between the two frequencies. 5 000 000 – 5 002 500 =
2500Hz. The frequency of the beats is within the audible range so we can hear them.

13. When ultrasound strikes the boundary between two different body tissues, the amount of reflection
that will occur is proportional to the difference in what?
A. the speed of sound in the tissues.
B. the density of the two tissues.
C. elasticity in the tissues.
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D. impedance between the two tissues.

Answer is D: The impedance depends on the speed and density. Speed depends on the elasticity of the
medium. So impedance is the more complete answer.

14. When a Doppler ultrasound device is used to investigate the blood flow in an artery, what happens
to the ultrasound when it reflects from a red blood cell?
A. The frequency of the ultrasound is increased
B. The frequency of the ultrasound is changed
C. The frequency of the ultrasound is decreased
D. The frequency of the ultrasound is unchanged

Answer is B: When ultrasound reflects from a moving object (eg a rbc) its frequency is changed. This is a
manifestation of the “Doppler effect”. The frequency will increase if the rbc is travelling towards the
ultrasound transducer. The frequency will decrease if the rbc is travelling away from the transducer. As the
question does not state the direction of travel of the rbc, one cannot choose either of A or C.

15. A typical sound produced by a Doppler device when used to assess the speed of blood flow in the
brachial artery, is tri-phasic. That is there are 3 sounds. Why is this?
A. Blood flow through elastic arteries is pulsatile.
B. The 3 sounds correspond to the pumping action of the left ventricle, the right ventricle, and the left
atrium.
C. Blood flow is affected by the actions of the left ventricle, and by lung inhalation and exhalation
D. The sounds are the original ultrasound frequency, the changed reflected frequency and the
frequency of the beats between the two frequencies.

Answer is A: Blood flow is fastest as the left ventricle contracts. The velocity of blood flow decreases
between contractions. In fact flow is momentarily retrograde as the aortic valve fills and closes. Then
forward flow continues as the elastic artery walls recoil from being distended. The other answers are
nonsense.