Which one of the following is the correct sound intensity expression w...
Sound Intensity Expression
The correct sound intensity expression with usual notations is given by:
a) dB = 10 log10(I/I0)2
Explanation
- The unit of sound intensity is watts per square meter (W/m²).
- The threshold of hearing, I0, is the minimum sound intensity that can be detected by the human ear, which is approximately 1 x 10^-12 W/m².
- The sound intensity level (SIL) is measured in decibels (dB), which is a logarithmic scale that compares the sound intensity of a given sound to the threshold of hearing.
- The formula for SIL is given by:
SIL = 10 log10(I/I0)
- However, since SIL can be negative, it is common to use the formula:
SIL = 20 log10(I/I0)
- This formula is equivalent to the first formula, but it doubles the value of the logarithm to ensure that SIL is always a positive value.
- Therefore, the correct sound intensity expression with usual notations is:
dB = 10 log10(I/I0)2
- This formula is equivalent to:
dB = 20 log10(I/I0)
- Both formulas are commonly used in practice.
Conclusion
The correct sound intensity expression with usual notations is dB = 10 log10(I/I0)2, which is equivalent to dB = 20 log10(I/I0). This formula is used to measure the sound intensity level (SIL) in decibels (dB) by comparing the sound intensity of a given sound to the threshold of hearing (I0).