ARDMS Ultrasound Physics & Instrumentation Practice Exam

Disable ads (and more) with a membership for a one time $2.99 payment

Prepare for the ARDMS Ultrasound Physics and Instrumentation Exam with our interactive quizzes. Use flashcards and multiple choice questions, detailed explanations made to enhance understanding and confidence. Start your journey today!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.

What is the total amount of attenuation if a 6.0-MHz sound beam travels through 4 cm of soft tissue?

6 dB
12 dB
18 dB
24 dB

The correct answer is: 12 dB

To determine the total amount of attenuation when a 6.0-MHz sound beam travels through 4 cm of soft tissue, one must understand the principle of attenuation in ultrasound. Attenuation occurs due to the absorption, reflection, and scattering of sound waves as they pass through a medium. In soft tissue, a common rule of thumb is that there is approximately 0.5 dB of attenuation per MHz per centimeter of travel. For a 6.0-MHz frequency sound beam traveling through 4 cm of soft tissue, you can calculate the total attenuation as follows: 1. Calculate the attenuation per centimeter: 0.5 dB/MHz/cm. 2. Multiply this by the frequency: 0.5 dB/MHz/cm * 6 MHz = 3 dB/cm. 3. Then multiply by the depth of tissue: 3 dB/cm * 4 cm = 12 dB. Therefore, the total amount of attenuation is 12 dB. This calculation highlights how the frequency and the distance traveled through a medium contribute to the overall attenuation experienced by the ultrasound wave in soft tissue.