Wave Optics - Download and run the PhET simulation Wave Interference. (https://p

Question

Wave Optics - Download and run the PhET simulation Wave Interference. (https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/wave-interference)

Act 2: Sound Waves

1.) Using the method you developed in the previous activity, measure the speed of a sound wave. Compare this with the ‘accepted’ value of the speed of sound (you may need to go online or elsewhere to find this value). What might be some reasons for any discrepancies between your calculated value and the accepted value?

2.) How does the sound intensity (amplitude or ‘volume’) change as the distance between the source of the sound wave and the observer increases? How could you tell? What might be causing this to happen?

Explanation / Answer

According to the given problem,

1.) c0 = speed of sound in air at 0°C The speed of sound c20 in air of 20°C is:

c20 = 343 m/s This value of c is usually used in formulas. Reason:

The air pressure and the air density are proportional to each other at the same temperature.

2.)The sound intensity becomes weaker as the distance between the source of the sound wave and the observer increases because the volume decreased. This could be because sound intensity is defined as the sound power per unit area. The usual context is the measurement of sound intensity in the air at a listener's location.

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