Ministry of Higher Education 1st Year of Mechanical Power

Institute of Aviation Engineering Dept.

Sheet 3
1) A sinusoidal sound wave moves through a medium and is described by the displacement wave
function s (x, t) = 2.00 cos (15.7x - 858t) where s is in micrometers, x is in meters, and t is in
seconds. Find (a) the amplitude, (b) the wavelength, and (c) the speed of this wave. (d) Determine
the instantaneous displacement from equilibrium of the elements of the medium at the position x =
0.05 m at t = 3.00 ms. (e) Determine the maximum speed of the element’s oscillatory motion.

2) As a certain sound wave travels through the air, it produces pressure variations (above and
below atmospheric pressure) given by dP = 1.27 sin (𝜋x-360𝜋t) in SI units. Find (a) the amplitude
of the pressure vari ations, (b) the frequency, (c) the wavelength in air, and (d) the speed of the
sound wave.

3) An experimenter wishes to generate in air a sound wave that has a displacement amplitude of
5.5x10-6 m. The pressure amplitude is to be limited to 0.840 Pa. What is the minimum wavelength
the sound wave can have?

4) Earthquakes at fault lines in the Earth’s crust create seismic waves, which are longitudinal (P
waves) or transverse (S waves). The P waves have a speed of about 7 km/s. Estimate the average
bulk modulus of the Earth’s crust given that the density of rock is about 2500 kg/m3.

5) A dolphin in sea water at a temperature of 258C emits a sound wave directed toward the ocean
floor 150 m below. How much time passes before it hears an echo?

6) A sound wave propagates in air at 278C with frequency 4.00 kHz. It passes through a region
where the temperature gradually changes and then moves through air at 08C. Give numerical
answers to the following questions to the extent possible and state your reasoning about what
happens to the wave physically. (a) What happens to the speed of the wave? (b) What happens to
its frequency? (c) What happens to its wavelength?

7) A sound wave in air has a pressure amplitude equal to 4x10-3 Pa. Calculate the displacement
amplitude of the wave at a frequency of 10.0 kHz.

8) A flowerpot is knocked off a window ledge from a height d 5 20.0 m above the sidewalk. It
falls toward an unsuspecting man of height h = 1.75 m who is standing below. Assume the man
requires a time interval of Dt = 0.300 s to respond to the warning. How close to the sidewalk can
the flowerpot fall before it is too late for a warning shouted from the balcony to reach the man in
time?

9) The speed of sound in air (in meters per second) depends on temperature according to the
approximate expression ( v = 331.5 + 0.607 TC) where TC is the Celsius temperature. In dry air,
the temperature decreases about 10C for every 150-m rise in altitude. (a) Assume this change is
constant up to an altitude of 9000 m. What time interval is required for the sound from an airplane
flying at 9000 m to reach the ground on a day when the ground temperature is 300C? (b) What If?
 Ministry of Higher Education 1st Year of Mechanical Power
Institute of Aviation Engineering Dept.
Engineering and Technology First Term (2023-2024)
Physics II (bas104)

Compare your answer with the time interval required if the air were uniformly at 300C. Which
time interval is longer?

10) A cowboy stands on horizontal ground between two parallel, vertical cliffs. He is not midway
between the cliffs. He fires a shot and hears its echoes. The second echo arrives 1.92 s after the
first and 1.47 s before the third. Consider only the sound traveling parallel to the ground and
reflecting from the cliffs. (a) What is the distance between the cliffs? (b) What If? If he can hear a
fourth echo, how long after the third echo does it arrive?

11) The area of a typical eardrum is about 5x10-5 m2. (a) Calculate the average sound power
incident on an eardrum at the threshold of pain, which corresponds to an intensity of 1.00 W/m2.
(b) How much energy is transferred to the eardrum exposed to this sound for 1.00 min?

12) The intensity of a sound wave at a fixed distance from a speaker vibrating at a frequency f is I.
(a) Determine the intensity that results if the frequency is increased to f- while a constant
displacement amplitude is maintained. (b) Calculate the intensity if the frequency is reduced to f/2
and the displacement amplitude is doubled.

13) The power output of a certain public-address speaker is 6.00 W. Suppose it broadcasts equally
in all directions. (a) Within what distance from the speaker would the sound be painful to the ear?
(b) At what distance from the speaker would the sound be barely audible?

14) A train sounds its horn as it approaches an intersection. The horn can just be heard at a level
of 50dB by an observer 10 km away. (a) What is the average power generated by the horn? (b)
What intensity level of the horn’s sound is observed by someone waiting at an intersection 50 m
from the train? Treat the horn as a point source and neglect any absorption of sound by the air.

15) The most soaring vocal melody is in Johann Sebastian Bach’s Mass in B Minor. In one
section, the basses, tenors, altos, and sopranos carry the melody from a low D to a high A. In
concert pitch, these notes are now assigned frequencies of 146.8 Hz and 880.0 Hz. Find the
wavelengths of (a) the initial note and (b) the final note. Assume the chorus sings the melody with
a uniform sound level of 75.0 dB. Find the pressure amplitudes of (c) the initial note and (d) the
final note. Find the displacement amplitudes of (e) the initial note and (f) the final note.

16) A family ice show is held at an enclosed arena. The skaters perform to music with level
80.0dB. This level is too loud for your baby, who yells at 75.0dB. (a) What total sound intensity
engulfs you? (b) What is the combined sound level?

17) The sound level at a distance of 3.00 m from a source is 120dB. At what distance is the sound
level (a) 100dB and (b) 10.0dB?