Describing Waves: Temporal and Spatial Parameters - Video Lesson

Hey, everybody. Welcome to today's lesson on sound wave basics. This lesson will focus on the key parameters that describe wave motion, identify their sources, and explain their relationships. These parameters not only influence the behavior of sound waves, but also determine the quality of the images produced. In order to produce images of diagnostic quality, it is critical to understand how these parameters impact the image and whether or not you, the operator, can influence them. Let's get started. Before we discuss the parameters of wave motion, let's review what we know about sound waves. We know that sound waves move through phases of compression where particles in a medium are pushed together creating a region of high pressure and rarefaction, where particles in a medium are spread apart creating a region of low pressure. These phases of compression and rarefaction allow sound waves to travel through a medium. One compression phase and one rarefaction phase form one.