Department of Mechanical Engineering May 25, 2015

Environmental Effects and Control of Noise

Course 06-95-455
Assignment #1 May 16, 2014
Due: Friday May 23

1. The standard pitch for musical instruments in North America is 440 Hz for the tone A on the pianoforte
keyboard. The sound pressure amplitude of that tone is 450 x 10-5 Pa. The temperature of the air is
20°C. (a) What is the wavelength of the tone in air? (b) What is the effective or rms value of the tone?

2. During a fireworks display, it takes 170 milliseconds between the initial flash of a display and the sound
reaching an observer. What is the distance between the observer and the ignited display if the air
temperature was 30°C?

3. Measurements were made of the wavelengths of pure tones at the Texas World Speedway where the
temperature of the air was 32°C for the following wavelengths: (a) 0.35 m, (b) 1.54 m, (c) 17 m,
calculate the corresponding frequencies of the pure tones.

4. Calculate the sound pressure level associated with the following rms sound pressures: (a) 0.00063 Pa;
(b) 0.254 Pa; (c) 4.5 Pa; (d) 3.3 Pa; and, (c) 4 x 104 Pa

5. The sound pressure level measured at 15 m from a transformer was 78 dB for the dominant 120- Hz
tone. What was the rms sound pressure at the measurement location?

6. Three different pumps are installed in a room of a power station. The noise levels from each, operating
individually, were measured at the operator's station and found to be 87, 84, and 89 dB, respectively.
What is the combined overall noise level at the operator's station with all three pumps operating?

7. The sound pressure levels (Lp) of eight machines were 65, 71, 74, 73, 89, 81, 76, and 72 dB. Calculate
the total sound pressure level generated by these sources.

8. Sound level measurements were made near an industrial operation. The ambient level measured with
the most significant noise source turned off was 79.2 dB. When the noise source was turned on, the
sound level, measured at the same location, was 83.3 dB. Calculate the sound pressure level of the
noise source as if it were the only active noise source.

9. Company regulations limit factory sound pressure level exposure to 90 dB for an 8 hour day. In a given
factory, the current level of exposure is 88 dB. For this case, what is the maximum sound pressure
level that a new machine may emit so as not to exceed the regulation?

10. Find the wavelength of a 250-Hz axial wave (‘P’ or pressure wave) is propagating in: a) a steel bar; b)
water; c) air using the following table provided.

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 APPROXIMATE VELOCITY OF SOUND IN CERTAIN COMMON MEDIA
AT ROOM TEMPERATURE (21.1 ˚C)

Material Imperial (ft/s) Metric (m/s)

Air 1128 344
Water 4500 1372
Concrete 10000 3048
Glass 12000 3658
Iron 17000 5182
Lead 4000 1219
Steel 17000 5182
Wood (hard) 14000 4267
Wood (soft) 11000 3353

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