Ultrasound

[Zyto]

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I've been reviewing the AAMC physical sciences topics, and under "Sound" the last topic is "ultrasound". What exactly should I know about ultrasound?

Here is what I know. Ultrasound is:

1.Sound that is at too low of a frequency to hear.
2.Ultrasound can be used to obtain information about an object. This is done when a source emits a sound wave, the wave is reflected back to the source, which then receives the wave and (somehow?) creates an image of the object that reflected the wave.

Some of the wave is reflected (refracted?) upon passing through a medium, while some of it passes through. This allows us to see something that is inside the body, i.e. a fetus.

Is this correct, and what else should I be aware of concerning ultrasound for the MCAT?

 

[ashtonjam]

Think you got it backwards, ultrasound is too high of a frequency to hear, hence the 'ultra.' Other than that I don't think it is going to be a big topic especially since it seems like info would be provided in the passage for technological things.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultrasound "Ultrasound is an oscillating sound pressure wave with a frequency greater than the upper limit of the human hearing range."

 

[Zyto]

Ah I knew that, not sure why I typed it backwards. Sound that is too low of a frequency to hear would be infrasound.

 

[gettheleadout]

I only reviewed this and the associated pages: http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/sound/usound.html