Eli5: what is ultrasound and what makes it “ultra”
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Ultrasound is sound of a higher frequency than the human ear is capable of hearing.
The prefix “ultra” means “beyond.” For example, the Spanish name for the region at the opposite end of the Mediterranean where the Kingdom of Jerusalem and Principality of Antioch were established was “Ultramar” (cognate to the more common French term “Outremer”). It means “Beyond the Sea.” The shade of blue called ultramarine gets its name from the fact that lapis lazuli used as pigment was imported from this region.
Similarly, ultrasound is “beyond sound.” Ultraviolet light is similarly higher frequency than violet and the human eye doesn’t have receptors for such a high frequency.
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