What is the speed of sound in soft tissue?

The speed of sound in soft tissue is approximately 1540 meters per second. This specific value is critical in ultrasound physics as it is the standard used when calculating distances and creating images during sonographic examinations. Sound travels at different speeds through various media, and in biological tissues, the average velocity is significantly influenced by factors such as density and elasticity.

In medical sonography, this value is typically accepted as a reference for soft tissue, allowing clinicians to interpret ultrasound data accurately. Understanding this speed is essential for the calculation of time-distance relationships, which are fundamental in determining the depth of structures within the body and assisting in diagnosis.

The other values provided do not represent the speed of sound in human soft tissue; for example, 330 m/s is closer to the speed of sound in air, and 4000 m/s is more characteristic of sound traveling through bone, while 2000 m/s is not relevant for common biological tissues encountered in medical imaging.