Sections 7.1-7.

Sound Intensity and the Human Ear

Sound Energy
How much energy does it take to produce sound? The sound energy created by 50,000 screaming fans in the Rogers Centre over 90 minutes would only be enough energy to heat up one cup of coffee.

The point: it doesnt take much energy to make sound.

Sound Intensity
Sound intensity changes with amplitude of the compressions and rarefactions It is defined as the sound power per unit area. Area is used because air compressions travelling from the source spread out over the surface area of a sphere (see next slide) The basic units are watts/m2.

Sound Intensity vs Distance

Dynamic Hearing Range

Whether you hear a sound depends on two things the intensity and the frequency. The nominal dynamic range of human hearing is from the standard threshold of hearing, (I0 = 10-12 W/m2) to the threshold of pain (1013 I0). These intensities are referenced at 1000Hz.

The Decibel Scale

The most common approach to sound intensity measurement is to use the decibel scale (L1), where LI is the sound level:

I is the sound intensity in W/m2 I0 = 10-12 W/m2 (the threshold of hearing)

Source

Intensity

Intensity Level

# of Times Greater Than TOH

Threshold of Hearing (TOH) Rustling Leaves Whisper

1*10-12 W/m2 1*10-11 W/m2 1*10-10 W/m2

0 dB 10 dB 20 dB

100 101 102

Normal Conversation
Busy Street Traffic Vacuum Cleaner Large Orchestra Walkman at Maximum Level Front Rows of Rock Concert Threshold of Pain Military Jet Takeoff Instant Perforation of Eardrum

1*10-6 W/m2
1*10-5 W/m2 1*10-4 W/m2 6.3*10-3 W/m2 1*10-2 W/m2 1*10-1 W/m2 1*101 W/m2 1*102 W/m2 1*104 W/m2

60 dB
70 dB 80 dB 98 dB 100 dB 110 dB 130 dB 140 dB 160 dB

106
107 108 109.8 1010 1011 1013 1014 1016

Compare the intensity of the loudness of normal conversation to that of a soft whisper.
Soft whisper has intensity, 10 -10 W/m2 Normal conversation has intensity 10 -6 W/m2. ratio of intensity of conversation to whisper is
10 6 10 10

= 10 4

Or use the decibel sound levels:

A soft whisper is 20dB and normal conversation is about 60dB. (60 20)/10 = 4 This corresponds to a 10,000 fold increase in the intensity for normal conversation compared to a soft whisper.

What is the sound level in dB for a sound whose intensity is 5.0x10 -6 W/m 2?
LI = 10 log10 ,

LI = 10 log10

5.0106 110 12

LI = 10 log10(5x10 6)
= 10 x 6.699 = 66.99 dB

What is the intensity of a sound which has a level of 35 dB? 35 = 10 log10 , 3.5 = log10

= 10 I = 10 3.5 Io I = 3.16 x 10 3 x 1 x 10 -12 = 3.16 x 10 -9 W/m 2

3.5

If the source of the sound in the previous question was 6 m away from the listener, where should a second person stand with respect to the same sound source to hear at 60 dB?
1 12

22 , 12

3.16 109 = 2 1 106 62

r2 = 36(3.16 x 10-3) r = 0.337 m = 33.7 cm The second person should stand 33.7 cm from the source.