Sonography Canada Physics Core Practice Exam 2025 - Free Sonography Physics Practice Questions and Study Guide

The highest value among the four temporal intensity measurements is indeed the temporal peak intensity. This measurement refers to the maximum intensity of the ultrasound beam during a specific pulse duration. It is measured at a specific point in time and reflects the highest level of intensity that occurs within that pulse.

Understanding temporal peak intensity is essential because it plays a significant role in determining the potential for tissue heating and is critical for assessing safety in ultrasound imaging. The temporal peak intensity is often larger than the other intensity measurements because it only considers the peak amplitude of the ultrasound wave without averaging, resulting in a higher numerical value.

In contrast, the other measurements — such as temporal average intensity and pulsed average intensity — take into account the entire duration of the pulse or the duty cycle of the ultrasound wave, which decreases their value compared to the peak intensity. Therefore, in evaluating and comparing these intensities, temporal peak intensity stands out as the highest.