Question

The intensity of a certain sound at your eardrum is 0.0040 w/m^2. calculate the rate p at which sound energy hits your eardrum. assume that the area of your eardrum is about 54 mm^2.

Answer 1

To calculate the rate of sound energy hitting the eardrum, multiply the intensity (0.0040 W/m²) by the eardrum's area (54 x 10⁻¶ m²) to get 0.000216 W.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student asks to calculate the rate at which sound energy hits the eardrum, given the intensity of the sound and the area of the eardrum. To calculate the rate, also known as the power (ℙ), we first need to convert the area of the eardrum from square millimeters to square meters. The area given is 54 mm², which is 54 x 10⁻¶ m². The formula for the rate at which energy hits a surface (P) is intensity (I) multiplied by area (A), ℙ = I x A. For the given intensity of 0.0040 W/m², the rate at which sound energy hits the eardrum is calculated as follows: ℙ = 0.0040 W/m² x 54 x 10⁻¶ m² = 0.000216 W or 216 μW.