GCSE

ULTRASOUND SCANNING
Sound waves with a frequency above the range of human hearing are called ultrasound.

1. Write down the frequency limits for human hearing.

2. Explain why humans have an upper limit for the frequency of sound they can hear.

3. Describe some differences between sound waves and electromagnetic waves.

4. Write down the approximate speed of sound in air (at standard pressure and
temperature).

5. Sound can also be used for echolocation. If we know the speed of sound and we
measure the time it takes for the sound to be emitted, reflect off the object and
return, we can calculate the distance.

a. Write down the equation for speed, in terms of distance and time

b. Rearrange the above equation for distance

c. Explain why the above equation does not give the distance to an object
using echolocation

6. Give an example and explain why it is useful for ultrasound to be only partially
reflected.

7. Describe how the received ultrasound signal differs from the emitted signal.

8. Give an example where echolocation is used in nature.

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9. Ultrasound is used for scanning pregnant women.

a. Describe if there any risks posed by the use of ultrasound scanning

b. Name some advantages of using ultrasound for pregnant women

compared with other methods of seeing inside the body, such as
X-rays for example

The frequency of ultrasound used in imaging is approximately 2.0 MHz.

c. Assuming the speed it travels through tissue is 1600 m/s, calculate the
wavelength of the ultrasound

The ultrasound source is placed on the skin of a pregnant woman during a scan so waves
only travel tens of centimetres. This means they return very quickly. We assume the speed
of sound is the same as in question c.

d. Calculate the time that the ultrasound takes to be emitted, reflected off a
boundary 20 cm from the scanner and received back

The ultrasound waves are not fully reflected, they are partly transmitted and partly
reflected.

e. Describe how the computer is able to build a picture of the baby using
ultrasound scanning

10. Ultrasound echolocation can be used by engineers to locate defects in long pipes.
The ultrasound signal is sent down a pipe. The receiver receives two signals, one after
90 ms (the defect) and the other after 135 ms (the end of the pipe).

Calculate the distance between the end of the pipe and the defect

Speed of waves in pipe = 5 000 m/s

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