What term describes the loss of sound energy?

The term that describes the loss of sound energy is absorption. This process occurs when sound waves encounter a medium and some of their energy is converted to other forms, typically heat. Absorption plays a significant role in diagnostic medical sonography, as it affects the amount of sound energy that can be received back by the transducer after being transmitted through tissues. Understanding absorption is crucial for sonographers because it influences the quality of the ultrasound images produced. For instance, various tissues in the body absorb sound at different rates, which can impact the clarity and contrast of the images generated during the ultrasound procedure.