Lower frequencies have _____ penetration compared to higher frequencies.

Lower frequencies have _____ penetration compared to higher frequencies.

• A. Increased
• B. Decreased
• C. Similar
• D. Variable

Answer: (A)

Lower frequencies penetrate deeper because attenuation grows with frequency. In lossy media, energy is absorbed or scattered more as the wave frequency increases, so higher-frequency waves don’t travel as far. A common way to picture this is skin depth: as frequency goes up, the depth to which the wave can effectively penetrate becomes smaller. This is why, in ultrasound, lower-frequency transducers reach deeper tissues (at the cost of resolution), while higher-frequency ones give sharper detail near the surface. So, lower frequencies have increased penetration compared to higher frequencies.

Lower frequencies penetrate deeper because attenuation grows with frequency. In lossy media, energy is absorbed or scattered more as the wave frequency increases, so higher-frequency waves don’t travel as far. A common way to picture this is skin depth: as frequency goes up, the depth to which the wave can effectively penetrate becomes smaller. This is why, in ultrasound, lower-frequency transducers reach deeper tissues (at the cost of resolution), while higher-frequency ones give sharper detail near the surface. So, lower frequencies have increased penetration compared to higher frequencies.