Free Practice Quiz Question List

6 Waves and Sound in Biology and Medicine Online Quiz Questions

Use this free practice quiz with 20 questions to review 6 Waves and Sound in Biology and Medicine, test your knowledge, and prepare for your next test or exam.

20 questions

True or false

1 point

In a sound wave traveling through a medium, the particles oscillate back and forth in the same direction that the wave travels.

A
True
B
False

Choose one

1 point

A vibrating source completes one cycle every $0.004$ seconds. What is its frequency?

A
25 Hz
B
250 Hz
C
400 Hz
D
4,000 Hz

Fill in the blank

1 point

Electrical signals triggered by cochlear hair cells travel to the brain along the .

Written response

1 point

A sound wave travels through air at $340\text{ m/s}$ and has a frequency of $500\text{ Hz}$ . What is its wavelength in metres?

Written response

1 point

Which middle-ear bone transmits vibration from the incus to the fluid in the cochlea?

Choose one

1 point

Which statement correctly distinguishes sound intensity from perceived loudness?

A
Sound intensity is the listener's perception of how loud a sound seems.
B
Loudness is power per unit area, measured independently of the listener.
C
Sound intensity is power per unit area, while perceived loudness also depends on frequency and the listener.
D
Pitch and loudness are both determined only by sound amplitude.

Choose all

1 point

Select all statements that correctly describe how hearing converts sound vibrations into neural signals.

A
The outer ear collects sound and directs it through the ear canal to the eardrum.
B
The malleus, incus, and stapes transmit eardrum vibration to fluid in the cochlea.
C
A traveling wave bends hair-cell stereocilia, triggering signals that travel along the auditory nerve.
D
The auditory nerve carries sound vibrations from the brain back to the eardrum.
E
Cochlear hair cells send mechanical waves directly through the ear canal.

True or false

1 point

Sound can travel through a vacuum because a wave transports energy rather than transporting the medium as a whole.

A
True
B
False

Fill in the blank

1 point

An ultrasound scanner measures the echo's round-trip travel time. To estimate the reflector's one-way depth from the total travel distance, the scanner divides by .

Choose one

1 point

A clinician wants to assess blood flow with ultrasound. Which method uses frequency changes in echoes from moving blood cells?

A
It measures the electrical pulses sent by the transducer to determine tissue temperature.
B
It uses frequency changes in echoes from moving blood cells to assess blood flow.
C
It uses the intensity of echoes from stationary bones to map nerve signals.
D
It measures the time for sound to pass through air in the ear canal.

Choose all

1 point

Select all statements that accurately describe ultrasound imaging and its use.

A
Coupling gel helps transmit sound between the probe and skin by removing an air gap.
B
Higher-frequency ultrasound is attenuated more strongly and generally penetrates less deeply.
C
Ultrasound does not use ionizing radiation, but it can deposit energy and cause heating or mechanical effects.
D
Because ultrasound does not use ionizing radiation, it deposits no energy in tissue.
E
Tissue boundaries reflect all ultrasound equally, regardless of acoustic impedance.

Open ended

1 point

A sound wave crosses into a different medium. Explain which of its frequency, speed, and wavelength can change, and why.

Choose one

1 point

An ultrasound echo returns after $40\text{ μs}$ . If the assumed sound speed in tissue is $1540\text{ m/s}$ , approximately how deep is the reflecting structure?

A
1.5 cm
B
2.0 cm
C
3.1 cm
D
6.2 cm

Choose one

1 point

A sound wave enters a different medium. Which statement best describes what happens to its frequency, speed, and wavelength?

A
Its frequency and wavelength must both remain unchanged.
B
Its frequency remains set by the source, while its speed and wavelength may change.
C
Its speed remains constant, while its frequency must change.
D
Its frequency, speed, and wavelength must all change.

True or false

1 point

Two sounds have the same physical intensity. Their perceived loudness must be identical for every listener, regardless of their frequencies.

A
True
B
False

Choose one

1 point

Can sound propagate through a vacuum? Choose the best explanation.

A
Yes. Sound can propagate through a vacuum because it carries energy.
B
No. Sound cannot propagate through a vacuum because it requires a medium.
C
Yes, but only when its frequency is above 20 kHz.

Choose one

1 point

Which sequence best describes how vibration travels from the eardrum toward the fluid-filled cochlea?

A
The eardrum sends electrical signals directly to the auditory nerve, which moves the middle-ear bones.
B
The cochlear hair cells move the eardrum, which then vibrates the middle-ear bones.
C
The eardrum moves the middle-ear bones, which transmit vibration to fluid in the cochlea.

Choose one

1 point

Why is coupling gel applied between an ultrasound probe and the skin?

A
It removes the air gap that would reflect much of the sound.
B
It raises the frequency of the probe's pulses so they can enter the body.
C
It prevents all sound from reflecting at tissue boundaries.

Written response

1 point

A sound wave travels through air at $340$ m/s and has a frequency of $500$ Hz. What is its wavelength in metres?

Written response

1 point

An ultrasound echo returns $40$ μs after a pulse is sent. Assuming a sound speed of $1540$ m/s in tissue, what depth does the scanner estimate, in metres?