Final answer:
Without additional details, determining the exact distance to achieve a 60 dB sound level is not possible. However, sound intensity follows the inverse square law and a decrease of 10 dB is a tenfold decrease in intensity. Moving closer to the source will be required to increase the sound level from a lower to a higher dB.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question concerns the intensity of sound levels and how they relate to distance from a sound source, a topic covered in physics. When a student asks how close they should come to achieve a conversation at a sound level of 60.0 db, they are referring to the inverse square law of sound intensity. This law states that sound intensity decreases with the square of the distance from the source. Therefore, to achieve a higher sound level, such as from 70 dB to 60 dB, one must move closer to the sound source.
While an exact distance cannot be provided without more details, such as the initial distance and sound level (e.g., 85 dB from the radio), it's important to understand that a 10-dB decrease represents a tenfold decrease in intensity. If the sound is clearly less intense at 60 dB compared to 85 dB, you have to move closer than the point you would stand to hear 85 dB to reach 60 dB. It is also possible to perceive a difference when the sound level increases by as little as 3 dB, such as from 70 to 73 dB, which indicates a doubling of intensity.