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Short Answer:

Sound is quieter with increased distance from its source due to dispersion and inelastic collisions between air molecules.

Long Answer:

To understand an explanation to your answer, you must first understand two important concepts.

First, sound is simply a tiny increase or decrease in air pressure that is produced by some source (such as our vocal cords). This pressure change is sensed by our ears and interpreted by the brain as sound. The amount of pressure change associated with sound is referred to as the acoustic pressure. Loud sounds correspond with large acoustic pressures while source sounds correspond with small acoustic pressures.

Second, sound is an acoustic pressure wave. We can conceive this wave by considering a surface wave produced by a pebble dropped in a pool of water. The wave's height, referred to as the amplitude, will be proportional to the speed of the pebble as it impacts the water. This is because part of the pebble's kinetic energy (energy of motion, proportional to speed) is converted to wave energy. Waves with more energy have greater size amplitude. The same idea can be applied to acoustic waves. If the sound source is high energy (let's say a jet engine), then the amplitude of the pressure wave will be large compared to a low energy source (let's say a human voice). Our brain simply perceives the jet engine as loud and the human voice as quiet.

Now, sound waves expand radially and spherically from their source, just like a surface wave moves outwardly like the purely-circular ring from the pebble's point of impact. All of the energy from the sound source is distributed equally around the circumference of this "wave sphere." The area begins small so energy is densely packed and the amplitude is large. As time passes and the wave moves further away from its source, the area of the wave-front increases while total energy remains the same. This means that the wave's energy is spread more thinly across the area. The result of this decrease in energy density and a corresponding decrease in amplitude; and because it is by area, the attenuation is by square-law (double the radius, quarter the amplitude.. This phenomenon is referred to as dispersion or spreading-loss, and is why we perceive sound as "quieter" when we are far from the source.

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What is the relationship between sound intensity and distance?

The relationship between sound intensity and distance is that sound intensity decreases as distance from the sound source increases. This is because sound waves spread out as they travel, causing the intensity of the sound to decrease with distance.


How distance affects the loudness of a sound?

As distance increases, the intensity of sound decreases due to spreading out of the sound waves in all directions. This decrease in intensity leads to a reduction in loudness as the sound travels further from its source. At double the distance, the sound intensity will be one-fourth as strong.


How does sound decrease with distance?

Sound decreases with distance due to the spreading out of sound waves as they travel through the air. This causes the intensity of the sound to decrease, resulting in a lower volume the farther away you are from the source of the sound.


How is the intensity of a sound related to the distance between the source and the receiver?

The intensity of a sound decreases as the distance between the source and the receiver increases. This is due to the spreading out of sound energy over a larger area as it travels further away, resulting in a decrease in the concentration of energy at the receiver.


Does sound Intensity decrease linearly with distance?

No, it follows the inverse square law. That is, the intensity is inversely proportional to the square of the distance. I2/I1 = (r1/r2)². Intensity decreases with 1/r² from increased distance, while the sound pressure decreases only with 1/r from increased distance.

Related Questions

What is the relationship between sound intensity and distance?

The relationship between sound intensity and distance is that sound intensity decreases as distance from the sound source increases. This is because sound waves spread out as they travel, causing the intensity of the sound to decrease with distance.


How distance affects the loudness of a sound?

As distance increases, the intensity of sound decreases due to spreading out of the sound waves in all directions. This decrease in intensity leads to a reduction in loudness as the sound travels further from its source. At double the distance, the sound intensity will be one-fourth as strong.


How does sound decrease with distance?

Sound decreases with distance due to the spreading out of sound waves as they travel through the air. This causes the intensity of the sound to decrease, resulting in a lower volume the farther away you are from the source of the sound.


How is the intensity of a sound related to the distance between the source and the receiver?

The intensity of a sound decreases as the distance between the source and the receiver increases. This is due to the spreading out of sound energy over a larger area as it travels further away, resulting in a decrease in the concentration of energy at the receiver.


Does sound Intensity decrease linearly with distance?

No, it follows the inverse square law. That is, the intensity is inversely proportional to the square of the distance. I2/I1 = (r1/r2)². Intensity decreases with 1/r² from increased distance, while the sound pressure decreases only with 1/r from increased distance.


What causes sound intensity to decrease?

Sound intensity decreases as it spreads out from its source due to the inverse square law, which means that as distance from the source increases, the same amount of sound energy is spread out over a larger area, leading to lower intensity. Additionally, sound absorption by materials in the environment can also cause a decrease in sound intensity.


How does the intensity of a sound wave change if the distance from the source is reduced by a factor of 4?

- 6 dB is incorrect. It will decrease by 12 dB.


Decreasing of Sound Intensity?

Sound intensity decreases as the distance from the source increases due to the spreading of energy over a larger area. This decrease follows the inverse square law, meaning the intensity decreases proportionally to the square of the distance. Factors like obstacles and absorption can also contribute to the attenuation of sound intensity.


How will decreasing the amplitude of the sound waves from a TV affect its intensity?

Decreasing the amplitude of the sound waves will decrease the intensity of the sound coming from the TV. Intensity is directly proportional to the square of the amplitude, so reducing the amplitude will result in a corresponding decrease in intensity. This means that the sound will be quieter.


What is the relationship between sound distance and the perception of volume in a given environment?

The relationship between sound distance and the perception of volume in a given environment is that as sound travels further away from the source, it tends to decrease in volume. This is due to the dispersion of sound waves over distance, resulting in a decrease in intensity and perceived loudness.


Why does the intensity of a sound decrease as the distance from the source increases?

the waves spread out over a larger areathe waves are absorbed by the medium as they pass through itthe waves are being scattered by irregularities in the medium and don't all proceed forwardetc.


By what factor will the sound of a source change the intensity of the waves if the distance is tripled from the sound source?

For sound intensity (acoustic intensity) we use in the free field (direct field) the inverse square law = 1/r². I1 and r1 belong to the close distance and I2 and r2 belong to the far distance.I2 = I1 * (r1/r2)²I2 = I1 * (1/3)² = I1 / 9Three times farther away gives one ninth the sound intensity of the close sound intensity.