This week on MRI FYI we answer the question "what is all that noise?"

An MRI is an electromagnet. There are large coils of wire within the MRI scanner called gradients. Electricity is running through the gradients to change the magnetic field during scanning. When scanning begins, there is a current running through the wires that is so strong that its force causes the wires to expand and contract. Because the current is switched on and off so rapidly while scanning, the noise caused by that force is continuous and can be up to 120 decibels. Hearing protection is mandatory when having an MRI scan because of this.

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