Three listeners, X, Y, and Z, are sitting in a room listening to music from a loudspeaker.
Listener X is initially at a distance of 12.0 m12.0\text{ m}12.0 m from the loudspeaker, where the sound intensity is 2.5×10−8 W m−22.5 \times 10^{-8}\text{ W m}^{-2}2.5×10−8 W m−2. Listener X then moves to a distance of 8.0 m8.0\text{ m}8.0 m from the loudspeaker. Calculate the sound intensity at the new position of listener X. Assume that the loudspeaker behaves as a point source.
The sound intensity level is 73 dB73\text{ dB}73 dB at the position of listener Y and 51 dB51\text{ dB}51 dB at the position of listener Z. Calculate the ratio sound intensity at the position of Ysound intensity at the position of Z\frac{\text{sound intensity at the position of Y}}{\text{sound intensity at the position of Z}}sound intensity at the position of Zsound intensity at the position of Y.
Listener Y perceives the loudness of the sound differently than listener Z. Discuss whether the use of intensity level or intensity is more appropriate to compare their perceived loudness.
Listeners X, Y, and Z then all move to the same distance from the loudspeaker.
Describe how the perceptions of music by X and Y differ from that of Z.
