Lesson Plan

Lesson: Beats

Aim: To study and understand the level of intensity of sound.

To study how beats are formed.

Lesson Objectives

In this lesson, students:

● use dB to define the levels of intensity of sound
• calculate the level of intensity at a given distance from a point source
• explain the formation of beats by the principle of superposition
• use the formula for beat frequency, f = f1 – f2.

Assumed prior knowledge

Students should already be familiar with

• progressive waves.
• intensity of wave.
• principle of superposition of waves.
• phase difference.
• addition of trigonometry functions.

Activity Descriptions

Activity 1
Formation of beats
Students learn
• the meaning of the level of intensity of sound and the unit dB.
• To calculate the level of intensity due to a point source.

Activity 2
Intensity of Sound
Students learn
• to explain the formation of beats
• the meaning of beat frequency.
• the derivation of the expression for beat frequency.
• to calculate the beat frequency through an worked example.
Development of Lesson

No. Step Strategy Resources

1 Introduction Teacher begins lesson by asking Musical instruments
the question: how do musicians like guitar or violin.
tune their musical instruments to
the correct frequencies?
2 Students Activity Teacher projects activities of lesson • LCD projector.
on the screen • Teacher’s
• Teacher projects the Laptop
introduction of the lesson. computer.
• Teacher goes through the • Multimedia
activities in the course ware courseware.
one by one.
• Teacher together with the
students summaries the
lesson using the summary.
3 Worksheet • Teacher distributes the • Printed copies
worksheets to the students. of worksheet.
• Students are supposed to
complete the worksheet.
• Completed worksheets to be
collected by the teacher for
marking.
4 Extension activity Students are asked to look for • Suggested
further information by: websites.
• Surfing the internet using • Recommended
the search engines like text
Yahoo or Alta Vista or references.
Google.
Worksheet Solutions

Question 1

(a) The power transferred by a wave to a unit area which is perpendicular to the direction of
propagation is known as the intensity of the wave.

I
(b) The level of intensity of sound is measured in dB and is defined as β = 10 ln
I0
where I = intensity of the sound
Io = threshold intensity of sound, which is 1 x 10-12 W m-2

Question 2

P
(a) At a distance r, the intensity is given by I1 =
4π r 2

P
At a distance 2r, the intensity is given by I2 =
4π (2r )
2

P
=
16πr 2
I2 1
=
I1 4

The change in the level of intensity is given by

I I
β 2 − β1 = 10 log ( 2 ) − 10 log( 1 )
Io Io
I
β 2 = 10 log( 2 ) + 30
I1
1
= 10 log( ) + 30
4
= 24 dB
Question 3

 I2  I 
(a) β 2 − β1 = 10 log  − 10 log 1 
 Io   Io 
I 
= 10 log 2 
 I1 
= 10 log(10 )
= 10 dB

β 2 − β 1 = 10 log(100)
(b)
= 20 dB

Question 4

(a) Two beats are formed in the time interval of 0.20 s, therefore the period of the beat is 0.10 s.

1
(b) The beat frequency =
0.10
= 10 Hz.

Question 5

(a) The phase difference between the two waves varies with time.

(b) (i) When the phase difference is zero, the two waves are in phase. Constructive superposition
occurs and a sound of maximum intensity can be heard.
(ii) The waves are in anti phase. Destructive superposition occurs and the intensity of sound
is equal to zero.
Question 6

(a) f = f2 – f1

= 505 – 500

= 5 Hz

Five beats can be heard per second.

1
(b) T=
5
= 0.20 s

(c) The small piece of putty will lower the frequency of the tuning fork. Therefore the beat
frequency will increase.

Question 7
f = f1 − f 2
v v
= −
λ1 λ2

 1 1 
10 = v − 
 0.78 0.80 

v = 312 m s −1