Audibility range of sound

Measurements of sound
• Sound Power (P)
• Sound Intensity (I)
• Sound pressure (p)
 Sound Power(P)
• The output of a source is measured as the rate of energy
flow (i.e power) in units of watt (W).
• The average output of some sources (in watts):

Sources Sound power (W)

Jet airliner 10000 104
50 kw axial fan 0.1 10-1
Large orchestra 0.01 10-2
Food blender, coffee 0.001 10-3
grinder
Conversational speech 0.00001 10-5
 Sound Intensity(I)
• It is the strength of sound in a carrying medium
(i.e in air).
• It is defined as the sound power per unit area.
• The basic units are watts/m2 or watts/cm2 .
• When a uniform point source emits a sound, this
energy flow spreads in all radial directions,
distributed over the surface of a sphere of
increasing radius.
• I = P/4πr2 ( W/m2), where, I- sound intensity
P – sound source Power
4πr2 – surface area of sphere.
This is known as the inverse square law.
 Sound Intensity(I)

• Sound Intensity reduces with the square of

distance.
• If two sources contribute to the sound
field, the intensities are additive.( I=I1+I2)
• Example: I = I1 + I2, e.g.
• I = 0.05 + 0.0125 = 0.0625W/m2,
 Sound pressure (p):

• Its unit is Newton per m2.

• Since audible sound consists of pressure
waves, one of the ways to quantify the
sound is to state the amount of pressure
variation relative to atmospheric pressure
caused by the sound.
 Sound Pressure (p)

• Sound pressure reduces with the distance

(and not with the square of distance),
• e.g. If power, P = 10W
Distance at(m) I (W/m2) p (Pa)
2 0.2 8.94
4 0.05 4.47
8 0.0125 2.236
 Sound Pressure (p)

• If two sources contribute to the sound

field, the squares of the contributing sound
pressures must be added and the result
will be the square root of this sum.
• p = √(p1)2+(p2)2,
• p = √ (4.47)2 + (2.236)2 = 5 Pa.
• p = 20√0.0625 = 5 Pa.
 Relation between Sound Pressure &
Sound Intensity

• The relationship of p and I depends on the

conveying medium, but in air under
‘standard conditions’ (air density of ρ =
1.18 kg/m3 and v = 340 m/s) it is usually
take as p = 20√I.
Where, p- sound pressure,
I- sound intensity.

• The sound intensity is proportional to

the square of its pressure.
Relation between Sound Pressure &
Sound Power

I=W/4π 𝑟2
I=p2/ρc where, p - sound pressure, ρ- density, c- velocity
Lp = Lw – 20 log r-11
Where, Lp-sound pressure
Lw – sound power
r- distance between source to receiver.
11- constant
 Acoustic quantities

• The logarithm of the ratio I/I0 has been

named Bel (after Alexander Graham Bell),
but as this is a rather large unit, its sub-
multiple, the deci-Bel (dB), is used.
• It can be derived from intensity or from
pressure:
• Sound power level: SPL = 10 × log W/W0
• Sound intensity level: SiL = 10 × log I/I0
• Sound pressure level: SpL = 20 × log p/p0
 Acoustic quantities

• The reference values have been standardized as the

average threshold of audibility:
• I0 = 1pW/m2 (pico-Watt = 10−12W)
• p0 = 20µPa (micro-Pascal = 10−6 Pa)
• Under standard atmospheric conditions, both derivations
give the same result, so in practice both may be referred
to as sound level (L).
 Sound intensity Level(SiL )
• As a first approximation of auditory
response, a logarithmic scale has been
devised : the sound level.
• The sound level can be derived from
sound intensity or from sound pressure.
SiL =10log I/Io
Where,
Io –reference intensity, generally taken as threshold of
hearing intensity.
I – the measured intensity.
Its unit is decibels.(dB)
 Sound intensity Level
• The intensity of two sounds are additives,
but not the corresponding sound levels.
• If sound levels are given, they must be
converted to intensities, these intensities
can be added, then the resulting sound
level must be found.
• I = 10(L/10 -12)
Where, I- sound intensity
L – sound level.
 Sound intensity Level
• Example: Two sound levels are given
LA=90dB.LB= 80 dB. Find the sum of the
two. The sum of the two is (NOT 170 dB).
We know, I = 10(L/10-12).
Thus,
IA= 10(9-12) = 10-3 = 0.001,
IB = 10(8-12) = 10-4 = 0.0001,
IA + IB = 0.0011W/m2
Lsum = 10 log 0.0011/10-12 = 10 log(11 ×10-4 x 1012)
=10 log(11x108) = 10 × 9.04 = 90.4 dB.
 Sound Pressure Level (SpL)

• it is measured in decibels.
• Sound level can be derived from sound
pressure as well.

•Where, P0 – reference pressure,

•P – measured sound pressure.

•Under standard atmospheric conditions, both

derivations give the same result, so in practice
both may be referred to as Sound level(L).
Example:1(Single sound source)
Example:2(single sound source with double
distance)
• Doubling the distance between sound
source and receiver (i.e. 1,2,4,8,16,so
on),every doubling the distance the sound
level will be reduced by 6dB in free sound
field.
Example:3 (Two sound sources with equal
sound power)
• Sound level increases by 3dB per doubling of
sound source.
Example :4(three sources, two with equal
sound source and one is quite)
Feeling Sound Intensit SpL examples
of intensit y Level (dB)
sound y W/m2 (dB)
Very 10-12 0 0 Limit of audibility
faint 10-11 10 10 Rustle of leaves.
10-10 20 20 Whisper

faint 10-9 30 30 Quite conversation

10-8 40 40 Ordinary talk

Mild 10-7 50 50 Average office noise

10-6 60 60 Radio noise

Loud 10-5 70 70 Ordinary factory noise

Hearing Ability(measured with Industry workers)