A typical adult ear has a surface area of 1.92 × 10-3 m2. the sound intensity during a normal conversation is about 2.13 × 10-6 w/m2 at the listener's ear. assume that the sound strikes the surface of the ear perpendicularly. how much power is intercepted by the ear?

Respuesta :

The sound intensity is the ratio between the power of the wave and the surface:
[tex]I= \frac{P}{A} [/tex]
where
I is the intensity
P is the power
A is the area

In our problem, the sound intensity is [tex]I=2.13 \cdot 10^{-6} W/m^2[/tex], and the surface area of the ear is [tex]A=1.92 \cdot 10^{-3} m^2[/tex], so if we re-arrange the previous equation and we use these data we can find the sound power:
[tex]P=IA=(2.13 \cdot 10^{-6} W/m^2)(1.92 \cdot 10^{-3} m^2)=4.09 \cdot 10^{-9} W[/tex]