If the distance between a point sound source and a dB detector is increased by a factor of 10,what will be the reduction in intensity level?
A) 10 dB
B) 16 dB
C) 20 dB
D) 32 dB

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to the inverse square law, the intensity of sound decreases by a factor of 10^(2) = 100 when the distance is increased by a factor of 10. Using the formula for decibel level (dB = 10 log(I/I0)), we can see that the reduction in intensity level is equivalent to a decrease of 20 dB (since log(100) = 2), so the correct answer is C.

If the Distance Between a Point Sound Source and a DB