
An ultrasound wave is incident normally on the boundary between two media. The media have specific acoustic impedances
and
. State how the ratio

depends on the relative magnitudes of
and
.
State what is meant by the attenuation of an ultrasound wave.
A parallel beam of ultrasound is passing through a medium. The incident intensity
is reduced to
on passing through a thickness of
of the medium. Calculate the linear attenuation coefficient
of the ultrasound beam in the medium.