What type of waves are used in medical imaging and cleaning industrial equipment?

Ultrasound refers specifically to sound waves that have frequencies above the human hearing range, typically above 20 kHz. In the context of medical imaging, ultrasound is utilized to create images of structures within the body, such as organs and tissues. This is achieved by emitting high-frequency sound waves that reflect off different tissues, with the echoes being recorded to form an image.

In industrial cleaning, ultrasound is also employed because it can effectively remove contaminants from complex geometries and hard-to-reach surfaces through a process called cavitation. This involves the formation of bubbles in a liquid that rapidly collapse, producing shock waves that help dislodge dirt and debris.

While sound waves are used in various applications, ultrasound specifically refers to the higher frequency sound waves that are invaluable in both medical and industrial settings. Seismic waves pertain to geological studies and are not used in these contexts, while long waves are a vague term that does not accurately describe any specific frequency ranges relevant to medical imaging or industrial cleaning. Thus, ultrasound is the precise answer for the question asked.