Tag Archives: intensity

HEAT AND THERMAL ENERGY: Rate of Heat Transfer Within Various Materials

Thus far, discussions about the rate at which heat is transferred to a system has been ignored. We know from experience that materials that are removed from a hot oven will retain heat energy differentially in accordance with their subatomic structure. Fortunately, such observations have been used to construct a very modest yet useful expressionContinue reading “HEAT AND THERMAL ENERGY: Rate of Heat Transfer Within Various Materials”

SOUND: The Decibel Scale

One unit of ( X ) is equal to ten times one-tenth of ( X ). We are at liberty to allow ( X ) to be a quantity of anything we wish. For example, let’s allow ( X ) to be a dollar bill: 1 dollar = ( 10 )( 1 tenth dollars )Continue reading “SOUND: The Decibel Scale”

SOUND: What is the Sound-Intensity and Perceived Increase in Loudness at 1/4th the Distance?

Mr. Titus Tulay recently purchased a home four blocks from a busy tollway. On a typical evening, the decibel level resulting from tollway traffic is 62 dB at the location of his house. Determine the decibel level of a house 1 block from the tollway (four times closer). Essentially, a decibel reading tells us howContinue reading “SOUND: What is the Sound-Intensity and Perceived Increase in Loudness at 1/4th the Distance?”

SOUND: Intensity, Loudness, and the Decibel System

The intensity ( I ) of a sound is quantitatively different than how sound is perceived by the ear. The perception of sound is referred to as ” loudness “. When a sound’s intensity increases by 10 decibels ( B ), the ear perceives this increase as a ” doubling ” in loudness. Logarithmic mathematicsContinue reading “SOUND: Intensity, Loudness, and the Decibel System”

SOUND: Intensity As a Function of Distance From a Point Source

The First Law of Thermodynamics states that ” energy cannot be created or destroyed. ” Thus, the Wattage ( W ) in units of Joules per second ( J/s ), whether it be generated by an electric circuit, laser beam, ocean wave, falling skydiver ( drag force times drag velocity in W = Fv ),Continue reading “SOUND: Intensity As a Function of Distance From a Point Source”