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ULTRASONIC TESTING
UT Q BANK A-5

1. The test system which relies on reflected energy to find discontinuities

is called
a. Through-transmission
b. Pulse-echo
c. Longitudinal wave
d. Continuous wave

2. The test system that uses either pulsed or continuous sound and
indicates discontinuities as a reduction in received energy magnitude
is called
a. Contact testing
b. Longitudinal wave testing
c. Pulse-echo testing
d. Through – transmission testing

3. The test method where the transducer is coupled to the test specimen
though a thin layer of couplant is called
a. Immersion testing
b. Contact testing
c. Coupled wave testing
d. Through – transmission testing

4. The test method where both the transducer and the test specimen are
placed in a tank filled with a liquid (water) is called
a. Contact testing
b. Submerged testing
c. Immersion testing
d. Through-transmission testing

5. The ability of an ultrasonic test instrument to detect discontinuities is

not affected by the surface condition, shape, or metallurgical
characteristics of a specimen to be tested
a. True
b. False

6. Pulse-echo testing provides specific data on the relative size of the

discontinuity and its distance from the surface of the test specimen
a. True
b. False
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7. The requirement that the transmitting and receiving transducers have

to be precisely aligned on the test specimen is a disadvantage of:
a. Contact testing
b. Longitudinal wave testing
c. Pulse-echo testing
d. Through –transmission testing

8. Which of the following factors is an advantage of contact testing over

immersion testing? (Choose two)
a. Greater beam penetration
b. Higher frequencies may be used
c. Better resolution
d. Portability

9. Which of the following factors is a disadvantage of contact testing?

a. decreased beam penetration power
b. Portability
c. Difficulty in maintaining a uniform acoustical coupling
d. Confined to high frequency testing only

10. Which of the following factors is an advantage of immersion testing

over the contact method?
a. Greater beam penetration power
b. Portability
c. Lower test frequencies may be used
d. Angulations for unfavorably oriented discontinuities

11. Which of the following is not an advantage of immersion testing?

a. Portability
b. Better resolution
c. Reduced transducer wear
d. Angulations ability

12. Equipment selection and operation are parameters of the ultrasonic

test system that are controlled by the operator
a. True
b. False

13. To improve the ultrasonic test of a given specimen, which of the

following may be modified ?(Choose two)
a. Specimen shape
b. Adjustment of instrument controls
c. Specimen surface condition
d. Specimen heat treat
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14. The requirements on an ultrasonic test are:

a. Determined by operator judgment
b. Established by the reference standard block used.
c. Outlined in the acceptance standard

15. Standardization of ultrasonic test instruments is based on reflections

received from reference standards containing simulated discontinuities
of known size
a. True
b. False

16. Any precisely machined reference standard block may be used in

standardizing a test instrument for testing a given test specimen
a. True
b. False

17. In ultrasonic, pulse-echo testing is more widely used than through

transmission testing
a. True
b. False

18. A particular advantage of through – transmission testing is

a. No couplant is required
b. The depth of a discontinuity can be easily determined
c. Only one transducer is required
d. None of the above.

19. Proper test equipment selection is dependent on the :

a. Over all test situation
b. Metallurgical structure of the specimen
c. Test specimen geometry
d. Surface condition of the test specimen

20. Which of the following frequencies would probably result in the

greatest attenuation loss?
a. 1.0 MHz
b. 10.0 MHz
c. 25 kHz
d. 25 MHz

21. The characteristics of the internal grain structure of a test specimen do

not need to be considered when selecting the test frequency
a. True
b. False
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22. To test large, flat specimens, the transducer should have:

a. A large surface area.
b. A small surface area
c. An acoustical lens
d. A curved surface

23. In order to find the smallest discontinuities during a test:

a. Use the lowest frequency possible
b. Use the highest frequency possible.
c. Use through – transmission testing
d. Use a small transducer

24. Transducers incorporating a plastic wedge frontal member are

commonly used in straight- beam testing
a. True
b. False

25. The acoustical impedance of an ideal couplant should be between that

of the transducer and the test specimen.
a. True
b. False

26. The choice of a couplant is largely dependent on the surface condition

of the test specimen
a. True
b. False

27. Loss of back-surface reflection is evidence that sound is not being

returned to the:
a. Discontinuity
b. Transducer
c. Test specimen
d. Back surface

28. An ultrasonic instrument operator can control the number of cycles of

sound energy transmitted into a test specimen by adjusting pulse
length. A short pulse length results in (Choose two)
a. Less instrument sensitivity
b. Less penetration power
c. Better near-surface resolution
d. Increased penetration power
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29. In contact testing, shear waves may be produced in a test specimen

by:
a. Placing an X-cut quartz crystal on the specimen and coupling with
oil.
b. Using two transducers, one on each side of the specimen
c. Using a shear-cut lens on the transducer
d. using an angle beam transducer

30. The first critical incident angle for longitudinal waves is the point at
which
a. The reflected angle is zero degrees
b. The refracted angle of the longitudinal wave mode is parallel to the
surface
c. The longitudinal wave mode is totally reflected
d. Both longitudinal and shear waves are transmitted in to the
specimen

31. What is the waveform developed when the shear wave mode is
refracted 90 degrees?
a. Longitudinal waves
b. Surface wave
c. Transverse wave
d. Transitional wave

32. Ultrasonic waves which travel around a gradual curve with little or no
reflection from the curve are called:
a. longitudinal waves
b. Surface waves
c. Shear waves
d. Transverse waves

33. Plate waves may be used to test;

a. Thin sheet.
b. Forgings
c. Bar stock
d. a, b and c.

34. With reference to single-transducer pulse –echo testing, two-

transducer pulse-echo testing has better:
a. Near surface resolution
b. Specimen penetration power
c. Resolution at all depths.
d. Sensitivity at all depths
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35. Ultrasonic testing of castings is often not possible because of:

a. Rough surfaces
b. Small grain structure
c. Coarse grain structure
d. Irregular shape

36. Which of the following materials is most likely to produce the greatest
amount of sound attenuation over a given distance?
a. Hand forging
b. Coarse-grained casting
c. Extrusion
d. Fine-grained material

37. It is normal practice in testing bar stock to use both axial and radial
tests( test through both the length and width of specimen)
a. True
b. False

38. In straight beam contact testing, with the sound beam entering a flat
specimen such as a plate from one of the surfaces, the following type
of discontinuity will probably be detected:
a. Laminations with major dimensions parallel to surface
b. Tranverse –type discontinuities at an angle to the surface
c. Radial-type discontinuities with major dimension along length but
radially oriented to the surface
d. Porosity

39. A gross check of plate or sheet consists of marking off a grid pattern
on the material, either real or imaginary, and then testing each grid
square using:
a. A transducer wheel
b. A focused transducer
c. An angle-beam transducer
d. A straight –beam transducer

40. Before using an angle-beam transducer for testing plate, a reference

notch must be setup to determine the size of any discontinuities that
might be found
a. True
b. False
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ULTRASONIC TESTING
UT Q BANK A-5
ANSWERS

QUESTIONS ANSWERS QUESTIONS ANSWERS

1 B 21 B
2 D 22 A
3 B 23 B
4 B 24 B
5 B 25 A
6 A 26 A
7 D 27 B
8 A AND D 28 B AND C
9 C 29 D
10 D 30 B
11 A 31 B
12 A 32 C
13 B AND C 33 A
14 C 34 A
15 A 35 C
16 B 36 B
17 A 37 A
18 D 38 A
19 A 39 D
20 D 40 A