Question

4. Pressure amplitudes and sound volume. (Similar to Musical Acoustics, Chapter 1, Exercise 12.) If the rarefactions of a particular sound wave reduce the pressure to 0.998 atm a) what is the pressure in the compressions? b) What is the amplitude of this wave, expressed first in atm and then in N/m2? c) Is this a soft or a loud sound?

Answer 1

Since we know that, in normal conditions, the air pressure = 1 atm Due to rarefaction, pressure reduces = 0.997 atm so delta p m = 1 - 0.997 = 0.003 atm We know that delta pm = VDWS where s is amplitude wave