Wave motion Special batch

Loudness:
1. The intensity of sound wave while passing through an elastic medium falls down by 10% as it
covers one metre distance through the medium. If the initial intensity of the sound wave was
100 decibels, its value after it has passed through 3 metre thickness of the medium will be
(a) 70 decibel (b) 72.9 decibel
(c) 81 decibel (d) 60 decibel
1.solution (b)After passing the 3 meter intensity is given by
90 90 90
I3= × × ×I=72 . 9 % of I
100 100 100
So, the intensity is 72.9 decibel
2. The power of a sound from the speaker of a radio is 20 mW. By turning the knob of the volume
control, the power of the sound is increased to 400 mW. The power increase in decibels as
compared to the original power is
(a) 13 dB (b) 10 dB
(c) 20 dB (d) 800 dB
2.solution (a) P∝I
L1=10 log 10
( ) and
I1
I0 ( )
L2=10 log 10
I2
I0

So
L2−L1 =10 log 10
( ) I2
I1

=
10 log 10
( ) = 10 log (400
P2
P1 20 ) = 10 log 20
10
10

= 10 log(2×10 ) = 10(0 .301+1 )=13 dB

3. The intensity level due to two waves of the same frequency in a given medium are 1 bel and 5
bel. Then the ratio of amplitudes is
(a) 1:4 (b) 1:2
4
(c) 1 : 10 (d) 1 : 102
I
L=log 10
I0
3.solution (d)By using
I2 I1
L2−L1 =log 10 −log 10
I0 I0
I2 I2 I2
5−1=log 10 4=log 10 =10 4
I1  I1  I 1
2
a2 a2 10 2 a1 1
=10 4 = = 2
 a21 a
 1 1 a
 2 10
4. Intensity level 200 cm from a source of sound is 80 dB. If there is no loss of acoustic power in
−12 −2
air and intensity of threshold hearing is 10 Wm then, what is the intensity level at a distance
of 400 cm from source
(a) Zero (b) 54 dB
(c) 64 dB (d) 44 dB
 Wave motion Special batch

2
1 I 2 r1 22 1
I∝ ⇒ = = =
 I 1 =400 I 2
r
2 I 2
r 2 ( 40 )
2 400
4.solution (b) 1

Intensity level at point 1,

L1=10 log 10
I1
I0 ( )
and intensity at point 2,
L2=10 log 10
( )
I2
I0
I1
L1−L2 =10 log =10 log 10 (400)
 I2

 L1−L2 =10×2. 602=26

L2=L1 −26=80−26=54 dB

Doppler Effect in sound:

1. Two cars are moving on two perpendicular roads towards a crossing with uniform speeds of 72
km/hr and 36 km/hr. If first car blows horn of frequency 280 Hz, then the frequency of horn
heard by the driver of second car when line joining the cars make 45° angle with the roads; will
be

(a)321 Hz (b) 298 Hz

(c)289 Hz (d) 280 Hz
Solution: (b) Here v A =72 km/hr=20 m /sec
v B=36 km/hr=10 m /sec

n ' =n
( v +v B cos 45o
v −v A cos 45o )
vA
A
45°
vA cos 45° vB

vB cos 45° B

45°

⇒
n'=280 (340+10
340−20/ √ 2 )
/ √2
=298 Hz

2. A man is watching two trains, one leaving and the other coming in with equal speeds of 4
m/sec. If they sound their whistles, each of frequency 240 Hz, the number of beats heard by
the man (velocity of sound in air = 320 m/sec) will be equal to [NCERT 1984; CPMT 1997;
MP PET 1999; RPMT 2000; BHU 2004, 05]
(a)6 (b) 3
(c)0 (d) 12
Solution; (a) Stationary observer

S S

vS vS
Receding train Approaching train
 Wave motion Special batch

Frequency of sound heard by the man from approaching train

na =n
v
v−v s
=240
320
320−4
=243 Hz
( ) ( )
Frequency of sound heard by the man from receding train
nr =n
v
v + vs ( ) (
=240
320
320+4
=237 Hz )
Hence, number of beats heard by man per sec
=n a −nr =243−237=6
Short trick : Number of beats heard per sec
2 nvv S 2 nvv S 2×240×320×4
= = = =6
v 2
−v 2S ( v−v S )( v+ v S ) (320−4 )( 320+ 4 )

3. A train has just complicated a U-curve in a track which is a semicircle. The engine is at the
forward end of the semi circular part of the track while the last carriage is at the rear end of
the semicircular track. The driver blows a whistle of frequency 200 Hz. Velocity of sound is 340
m/sec. Then the apparent frequency as observed by a passenger in the middle of a train when
the speed of the train is 30 m/sec is

Observer

v
Engine

(a)209 Hz (b) 288 Hz

(c)200 Hz (d) 181 Hz
Solution :(c) The situation is shown in the fig.
Both the source (engine) and the observer (Person in the middle of the train) have the same
speed, but their direction of motion is right angles to each other. The component of velocity
of observer towards source is v cos 45° and that of source along the time joining the observer
and source is also v cos 45° . There is number relative motion between them, so there is no
change in frequency heard. So frequency heard is 200 Hz.

Observer
45°
v
45°

v
45°
Engine
v cos 45°