Final answer:
The noise that will perforate an eardrum is considered to be 10,000 times more intense than the noise that causes pain.
Step-by-step explanation:
The noise that will perforate an eardrum is considered to be 10,000 times more intense than the noise that causes pain. According to Table 17.2, the bursting of eardrums has an intensity level of 10,000 watts per meter squared. On the other hand, severe pain and damage occur at an intensity level of 100 watts per meter squared.
Therefore, the ratio of the intensity that will perforate an eardrum to the intensity that causes pain is 10,000:100, which simplifies to 100:1. So, the noise that will perforate an eardrum is 100 times more intense than the noise that causes pain. To determine how many times more intense the sound that can rupture the eardrum is compared to the sound that causes pain, we can divide the two intensities.