Question

Two sound waves have equal displacement amplitudes, but wave 1 has two-thirds the frequency of wave 2. What is the ratio of the intensity of wave 1 to the intensity of wave 2?

Answer 1

Answer:

$\dfrac{I_1}{I_2}=\dfrac{4}{9}$

Explanation:

c = Speed of wave

$\rho$ = Density of medium

A = Area

$\nu$ = Frequency

$\nu_1=\dfrac{2}{3}\nu_2$

Intensity of sound is given by

$I=\dfrac{1}{2}\rho c(A\omega)^2\\\Rightarrow I=\dfrac{1}{2}\rho c(A2\pi \nu)^2$

So,

$I\propto \nu^2$

We get

$\dfrac{I_1}{I_2}=\dfrac{\nu_1^2}{\nu_2^2}\\\Rightarrow \dfrac{I_1}{I_2}=\dfrac{\dfrac{2}{3}^2\nu_2^2}{\nu_2^2}\\\Rightarrow \dfrac{I_1}{I_2}=\dfrac{4}{9}$

The ratio is $\dfrac{I_1}{I_2}=\dfrac{4}{9}$