Question

A fan at a rock concert is 50.0 m from the stage, and at this point the sound intensity level is 114 dB. Sound is detected when a sound wave causes the tympanic membrane (the eardrum) to vibrate . Typically, the diameter of this membrane is about 8.40 mm in humans.
A.How much energy is transferred to her eardrums each second ?B.How fast would a 2.00 mg mosquito have to fly to have this much kinetic energy?C.How fast a typical 2.0 mg mosquito would have to fly (in mm/s) to have an amount of energy delivered to the eardrum each second when someone whispers (20 dB) a secret in your ear?D.Compare the mosquito's speeds found in parts (B) and (C).

Answer 1

Answer:

A) $P=13.92\ J.s^{-1}$

B) $v=3730.9912\ m.s^{-1}$

C) $v=74.44\ mm.s^{-1}$

D) mosquitoes speed in part B is very much larger than that of part C.

Explanation:

Given:

• Distance form the sound source, $s=50\ m$

• sound intensity level at the given location, $\beta=114\ dB$

• diameter of the eardrum membrane in humans, $d=8.4 \times 10^{-3}\ m$

• We have the minimum detectable intensity to the human ears, $I_0=10^{-12}\ W.m^{-2}$

(A)

Now the intensity of the sound at the given location is related mathematically as:

$\beta=10\ log(\frac{I}{I_0} )$ ..........................................(1)

$114=10\ log\ (\frac{I}{10^{-12}} )$

$11.4=log\ I+12\ log\ 10$

$I=0.2512\ W.m^{-2}$

As we know :

$I=\frac{P}{A}$

$0.2512=\frac{P}{\pi\times \frac{8.4^2}{4} }$

$P=13.92\ J.s^{-1}$ is the energy transferred to the  eardrums per second.

(B)

mass of mosquito, $m=2\times 10^{-6}\ kg$

Now the velocity of mosquito for the same kinetic energy:

$KE=\frac{1}{2} m.v^2$

$13.92=\frac{1}{2}\times 2\times 10^{-6}\times v^2$

$v=3730.9912\ m.s^{-1}$

(C)

Given:

• Sound intensity, $\beta = 20\ dB$

Using eq. (1)

$20=10\ log\ (\frac{I}{10^{-12}} )$

$2=log\ I+12\ log\ 10$

$I=10^{-10}\ W.m^{-2}$

Now, power:

$P=I.A$

$P=10^{-10}\times \pi\times \frac{8.4^2}{4}$

$P=5.54\times 10^{-9}\ J.s^{-1}$

Hence:

$KE=\frac{1}{2} m.v^2$

$5.54\times 10^{-9}=0.5\times 2\times 10^{-6}\times v^2$

$v=0.07444\ m.s^{-1}$

$v=74.44\ mm.s^{-1}$

(D)

mosquitoes speed in part B is very much larger than that of part C.