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sound

Tags
phys/wave
cegep/3
Word count
240 words
Reading time
2 minutes

Longitudinal mechanical wave that consists of compressions and rarefactions of the medium

  • Travelling speed in air at 20°C is ==243m/s==.
  • Travels faster at higher temperatures
  • Human audible frequency: 20-20000Hz

Intensity

Measured in decibels:

β=10dBlogIIo
  • Human audible intensity: Io=1012 to 1W/m2
  • Low frequencies correspond to lower pitch, high frequencies correspond to higher pitch

Examples

A loudspeaker suspended high off the ground emits 35.0 J of energy per second, with a uniform distribution in all directions. A small detector is located 55.0 m from the speaker.

  1. What is the sound intensity at the detector’s position?
I=P4πr2=354π5520.009087W/m2
  1. How much energy will be transferred to the detector in 60 seconds, if the detector has a surface area of 0.01 m2?
E=ItS=0.009087600.010.005452J

The sound intensity level from one solo flute is 70 dB. If 100 identical flutists standing close together play in unison, what will be the sound intensity level?

βi=10logIiIo70=10logIiIo107=IiIoIi=105W/m2βf=10logIfIo=10log100105Io=10log109=90dB

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