Applied Physics

Sheet (1)
st Year Mech. Engineering!

Cairo University
Faculty of Engineering

Ultrasonic Wave Physics 1

1- You are given a (perfect) sample of an unknown material to characterize it
(extract its properties). The sample is a cube with side length (L=1m). You used
an ultrasonic (US) transducer to send US waves of frequency (f=5MHz) at normal
incidence, and receive it at the other end of the sample. Assuming that the
incident wave is composed of both shear and lateral waves (simultaneously)
a. How many pulses do you expect to receive at the other end of the sample?
Why?
b. If two pulse were received after T1=158m , and T2=319s , what is the
speed of each of these pulses? Can you tell which pulse is composed of
shear wave and which is composed of longitudinal wave?
c. What is youngs modulus of this material? Poisson ration ?
2- A perfect rubber sample was tested using US waves using pulse-echo technique.
The detector measured a reduction of intensity equal to 12dB.
a. If the transmitted US pulse was emitted using transducer potential
V1=5v, find the potential of the received signal.
b. What is the samples thickness (Lr)?
c. Whats the HVTrubber?
d. This sample was replaced by another one that has an air cavity inside
it. If the receiver measured an echo at -8dB, what is the thickness of
the air cavity (Lc)?( attenuation coefficient of air is 26 np m-1, neglect
reflection losses)
rubber =133 np m-1,
air =26 np m-1,
3- The shown figure presents an US test setup (Z1 =4 x 105 gm/cm2 sec, Z2 = 48 x
105 gm/cm2 sec), if attenuation is neglected and a
single US pulse is send from the transmitter (Tx) Tx
Rx1
with intensity I0. Find:
Z1
Z2
a. The intensity of the received signal at the
Rx2
st
1 receiver (Rx1)
b. The intensity of the received signal at the
2nd receiver (Rx2)
c. The measured intensities at Rx1 and Rx2 in dB

Applied Physics
Cairo University
Sheet (1)
Faculty of Engineering
st Year Mech. Engineering!
d. If attenuation is taken into account, find the measured intensities at
both receivers. (1 =126 np m-1,2 =32
np m-1)
Plastic

Rx
Aluminum

4- A plastic wedge is used to direct US

waves into
aluminum. The Source (Tx) produces
longitudinal
waves in the wedge. (Vl-al = 6.4 km/sec ,
Vs-al = 3
2
km/sec, Vl plastic = 2 km/sec).
Tx
a. Find the wedge angle such that a
shear wave
1
propagates in the aluminum.
b. At what wedge angle can we
inspect
surface cracks of aluminum.
c. If a longitudinal wave was received at the receiver (Rx), 60o below the
aluminum surface, what was the wedge angle?
5- For the given drawing, ultrasonic waves are
transmitted from probe (A) and received at
the probe (B) . How much percent energy is
received?
Probe
Zwater =1.5 x 105 gm/cm2 sec
5
2
A
Zsteel = 45.5 x 10 gm/cm sec

water
steel

Probe
B

6- A longitudinal pressure wave propagates inside a kerosene tank and hits the tank
surface. The US wave in kerosene (density 780 kg/m3 ) propagates with velocity
2km/s and is normally incident on the tanks thick wall (=7750 kg/m3, V=5.8
km/s) at a pressure of 85Ppa. find:
a. The reflected wave pressure.
b. The pressure of the wave propagating into the tank wall .
c. The propagation angle of the pressure wave in the tank surface
d. The relative reflected and transmitted intensities.
e. What will change if the tank was replaced by a plastic one?
f. In the setup described above, which tank is easier to inspect using US
waves for defects in the tank wall? Why?