Answer #57

The correct answer is B: The intensity of the artifact increases with an increasing angle.

Side lobe artifacts occur because not all of the energy from the transducer remains in a single central beam (Choice D) and are 3 dimensional just as the beam is 3 dimensional (Choice A). In fact the intensity DECREASES with increasing angle. The farther out from the central beam, the weaker the side lobe. Artifacts are created since the machine interprets signal returning from the side lobes as coming from the central beam. These signals are usually much weaker than those from coming back from the main beam unless there is a strong reflector (Choice C), in which case they are called dominant side lobes.