Sound Power and Intensity

There has been a major missing ingredient so far in our discussion of quantifying loudness, making
the connection between the amplitude of the sound wave (sound pressure) and the qualitative notion
of loudness. We have talked about sound at a particular point (in a room, on a city street, or near an
airport listening to jets taking off) without worrying about how the sound is produced. Connecting
loudness to the source of sound energy is important, because as we know from our direct
experience, how loud we perceive a produced sound depends on the distance between the source
and our ear. Today, we'll quantify how loudness depends on the amount of sound energy produced
and the distance between the source and our ear

Sound Power

Sound always has a source. The source could be a musical instrument, people talking, a stereo
system or a jet taking off. Different sources produce sounds with different qualities such as pitch and
timbre. What concerns us here is another difference between sources of sound: the amount of sound
energy they produce. Sound waves, like other waves, transport energy. For a sound wave, the
amount of energy transported is proportional to the square of the amplitude of the wave. We have
indicated this amplitude as p, because it corresponds to the amount of pressure oscillation in the air
caused by the sound wave.

Where does the sound energy come from? The answer is that some object has converted energy of
a different kind into sound energy. Typically, there is some sort of mechanical motion, a vibration of
some sort, so mechanical energy is converted into sound energy. How loud a sound is depends on
how rapidly the object converts energy into sound energy. So the relevant physical quantity to relate
to loudness is the sound power produced by the source, or the rate at which sound energy is
produced versus time. Referring back to our earlier discussions, power is the time rate of change of
energy and has units of Joules per second. We give a new name to this unit: 1 Watt = 1
Joule/second. The Watt is the unit of power.

We will introduce a logarithmic scale for sound power, just like we did for sound pressure, because
our perception of sound loudness is logarithmic. We define the sound power level from a source as

sound power level = LW = 10 log( W / W 0)

As with our defintion of sound pressure level, we are forced to first find the ratio of the sound power
to some reference power level. In this case, the reference sound power we'll use is W 0 = 10-12 W.
The "units" of sound power level are in decibels. This is really a dimensionless quantity. We quote
the sound power level in decibels to remind ourselves that its a logarithmic quantity with a specific
reference power.

Sound Intensity

We haven't yet made contact with loudness. To do so, we need a receiver of the sound energy
produced from the source. Before we get there, we have to ask the question where does the sound
power produced from the source go? The simple answer is, everywhere. Most sources of sound
send sound waves out uniformly in all directions. What this means is that if we are a certain distance
from a source of sound, say a jet taking off, we will hear the same loudness sound independent of
where we listen: either in front of the jet or behind the jet or to the side of the jet. The loudness of the
noise we hear depends only on how far we are from the source of sound.
The geometrical shape that has all points equal distance away from a source is a sphere. The
loudness we hear depends on the ratio of the area of our sound collector to the total area of the
sphere surrounding the sound source. This motivates the introduction of another physical quantity
associated with sound waves: intensity. The intensity of a sound wave is the amount of power in the
wave per unit area and has units of W/m2. The intensity of a sound wave depends on how far we are
from a source. If we label that distance as R, then the sound intensity is

sound intensity = sound power / (4 pi R2)

This says that on the surface of a sphere centered on the sound source, all points get equal intensity
which agrees with our intuition. The sound intensity is just the ratio of the sound power to the surface
area of a sphere of radius R (surface area of sphere = 4 pi R2), where R is the distance we are from
the sound source.

We now have something that relates to our perception of loudness. This means that we should
introduce a logarithmic scale, once again. We talk about the sound intensity level

sound intensity level = LI = 10 log ( I / I0 )

with the reference intensity defined as I0 = 10-12 W/m2.

Both sound pressure level and sound intensity level are purported to measure the same thing: the
loudness of a sound that we hear. This means that they better be equal. They are for the following
reason. The sound pressure level can be written as

sound pressure level = Lp = 20 log ( p / p0 ) = 10 log ( p2 / p02)

The last step in the chain of equal signs makes use of a property of logarithms, log( A n ) = n log A. In
the above equation, n = 2 and A = p / p 0. The next step to show the equality of sound pressure level
and sound intensity level is to realize that the intensity in a sound wave is proportional to the square
of the amplitude of the sound wave. This means that p 2 / p02 = I / I0. The end result is that the sound
intensity level and the sound pressure levels are identical quantities!

This article highlights the main differences between the three acoustic terms: sound
pressure, sound power, and sound intensity. The article attempts to explain when to use
them, their units of measure, and how they relate to each other.

These three terms all measure different aspects of sound, but can all be expressed
in decibels as shown in Figure 1. A decibel is not unit of measure, but rather a logarithmic
ratio between two numbers (a measured quantity and a reference number).
Figure 1: Sound pressure, sound power and sound intensity can all be expressed in decibels
(dB) even though they represent different measured quantities.

The measurement units used in sound pressure, sound power, and sound intensity are
different. Often the measurement unit is omitted during discussions, and only the term
“decibels” is used. This can cause some confusion to arise.

Pressure, Power, and Intensity: Heater Analogy

An analogy between a heater placed in a cold room, versus a sound emitting object in quiet
room, can be used to illustrate the differences between pressure, power and intensity. There
are several similarities between heat and sound as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2: Heater analogy for Sound Pressure, Sound Intensity and Sound Power

The heater creates heat, which spreads throughout the room. A noise emitting object creates
sound in a similar fashion. The following parallels can be drawn:

Sound Pressure and Temperature

At every position in the room, there is a specific temperature level, which is measured in
degrees. Likewise, at every position in the room with the sound source, there is a particular
sound pressure level, which is measured in Pascals. As heat is produced, the temperature
level is higher closer to the heater. Like temperature, the sound pressure level is typically
higher closer to the noise emitting object. Both the sound pressure level and temperature
level are dependent on the location and distance away from the source object.

Sound Power and Heater Power

The heater generates a particular amount of heat per hour. The power required to generate
this heat is the same, no matter what the temperature in the room. The heater power is
measured in energy over time, or Watts. Sound power operates on the same principal –
the sound power of an object is solely a property of the object, and is independent of the
sound pressure levels in the room. Sound power is the rate at which sound energy is emitted
per unit time. Sound power is also measured in Watts.

Sound Intensity and Heat Flow

Heat travels and flows throughout the room. The heat flow has a temperature level and a
direction. Sound intensity is the measure of the flow of sound, and has a level and a
direction. This flow is observed over a specific area, hence the units of sound intensity are
W/m2.

*** In this analogy, it was assumed that both the heater and sound emitting object have a
constant output. The room was assumed to be free of reflections and other sources. ***

Relationship of Sound Pressure, Sound Power and Sound Intensity

Sound pressure, sound power, and sound intensity can be related to each other under some
specific circumstances.

Sound Pressure and Sound Intensity Relationship

In an acoustic free field, the sound intensity is directly related to sound pressure by the
following equation:

Sound Intensity = (Sound Pressure) x (Particle Velocity)

The particle velocity is the speed of which the air molecules vibrate back and forth while
transmitting a sound. Particle velocity is a vector quantity, while sound pressure is only a
scalar amplitude. The result is that sound intensity is a vector quantity.

At any given location around a sound source, either the sound intensity or sound pressure
can be measured, as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3: Sound Intensity (left) versus Sound Pressure (right) around an electric motor

The sound intensity (left side) shows both amplitude (via color) and direction (with a vector
arrow). The sound pressure (right side) shows only amplitude with color:

 Amplitudes the Same - Looking at the color distribution of sound intensity and sound
pressure amplitude levels, the same pattern is present in both images.
 Direction is the Difference - The sound intensity vectors on the left side of Figure
3 clearly indicate the direction of sound flow, making it easier to troubleshoot the
cause of the high sound levels. The sound pressure values on the right side do not
indicate flow direction, or provide clues as to where the sound originated.
Sound pressure level can be measured with a single microphone, while sound intensity is a
more complicated measurement. A sound intensity measurement requires two or more
microphones in a specific arrangement. For example, the Simcenter Soundbrush uses four
microphones in a tetrahedral pattern to measure intensity.

Sound Intensity and Sound Power Relationship

It is easy to convert from sound intensity to sound power (and vice versa), if the area over
which the measurement was performed is known:

 Sound intensity is expressed in Watts/m2.

 Sound power is expressed in Watts.

Multiply the sound intensity value by the area (in m2) covered by the measurement to
calculate sound power.

In an acoustic free field, the sound intensity at a specific distance from a sound emitting
object can be calculated, if the sound power of the object is known. Take a printer that has a
sound power of 0.02 Watts. Sound intensity will be measured in a 2 meter hemi-sphere
around the printer as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4: Object with known sound power in 2 meter hemi-sphere test

To get the sound intensity, divide the sound power by the area of the hemi-sphere:

 Sound power is 0.02 Watts

 Hemi-sphere surface area is 25 m2 (2 meter radius)
 Sound intensity is 0.02W/25m2 for a value of 0.0008 W/m2
 Using Equation 1, the 0.0008 W/m2 can be converted to decibels

Equation 1: Conversion of power measured quantities to decibels

Using the following values in Equation 1:

  Reference value for intensity (1x10-12 W/m2 from Figure 1) for Wref
 Sound intensity of 0.0008 W/m2 for W

The sound intensity at two meters distance is 89 decibels.

Conclusion

Sound pressure, sound power, and sound intensity are acoustic quantities that can be
expressed in decibels. They describe different aspects of sound, and the decibels for each
represent different measurement quantities.

 Sound Pressure – Indicates the amplitude level of sound at a specific location in space,
and is a scalar quantity. The level is dependent on the location and distance the sound
is observed relative to a sound source. Sound pressure is measured in Pascals.
 Sound Power – The rate at which sound is emitted from an object, independent of
location or distance that the sound is observed. Sound power measurements are often
specified in the noise regulations of many different kinds of products, from
construction equipment to computer printers. Sound power is measured in Watts.
 Sound Intensity – Sound intensity is sound power per unit of area. It indicates the flow
of sound through a specific area. Sound intensity is measured in Watts/m 2.

1.Noise is a subset of sound.

2.Noise is unwanted sound. It has a clearly negative connotation unlike sound.
3.Noise is harmful to humans in many ways.
4.Sound in its most natural and ordinary state is pleasant and good to hear.
5.Noise has a bigger decibel mark than most ordinary sounds.

In physics parlance, sound is defined as a characteristically mechanical wave arising from the
vibration of particles travelling via a particular medium such as air or water. The back and forth
movement of air particles vibration cause sound waves to occur. As the vibration travels via a
medium such as air, it creates lower and higher levels of air pressure via compression and
decompression. These vibrations pass through the air and result in the formation of sound. Even
though these waves are invisible, these can be felt by the auditory sense. There are many forms of
sounds and they are grouped into several categories.

Noise is a subset of sound, which is undesirable or obnoxious. Noise is usually a loud kind of sound
that is unpleasant to hear. Some examples of noise are shouts, yells, screeches, honks, thumps,
and clatter. Noise is distinguished by its annoying and obnoxious nature that can cause some
harmful effects on the health if exceed a specific level.
Noise and sound are two distinct words that are often used interchangeably by some. Sound is
received by our auditory faculties after receiving the variations of the air particles, while noise is an
undesirable sound, usually a deafening one.

Excessive loud noise can result in hearing loss, anomalies in cardiovascular system, hypertension,
and faster palpitation. The undesirable effects of excessive noise can result in psychological effects
that are marked by irritation, panic attacks, anxiety disorder, intense nervousness, inattentiveness,
and memory loss.

Unlike sound that is pleasant and clearly audible, noise is unpleasant, deafening, and
incomprehensible though audible.

Differences between sound and noise

Element of unpleasantness
Noise carries many elements of unpleasantness, whereas sound does not carries any element of
unpleasantness with it. You will definitely find the music of your favorite band to be pleasant. The
same goes for the cackle of a baby, appreciation from one of your favorite teachers, and the voice
of your best friend. However, you will not find the honk at the traffic, a loud explosion, a shout
pleasant at all.
Relevance
Sound is relevant all the time, whereas noise is not at all. Vibrations of air particles having regular
variations make sound, whereas vibrations of particles having highly irregular variations create
noise.
Desirability
Unlike sound, noise is unwanted and undesired. You will definitely love to hear the music of your
favorite band as it contains pleasant and melodious sound, while, on the other hand, you will
definitely not want to hear an obnoxious honk at the traffic, a shout in your computer institute, a
racket at your favorite restaurant, or a loud explosion of fireworks though you will love to see it.
Utility
Sound is useful and is used in many ways, whereas noise is useless. The word ‘sound’ is derived
from ‘sonus’, a Latin word, which is utilized in several fields such as speech therapy, filmmaking,
sonography, sonology, radiology, ultrasound, etc. Noise is derived from ‘nausea’, also a Latin word.

Effects on Health
Sound does not have any harmful effects on health; on the contrary it has some positive effects on
the health. Noise has many harmful effects on health. Excessive loud noise can result in hearing
loss, anomalies in cardiovascular system, hypertension, and faster palpitation. The undesirable
effects of excessive noise can result in psychological effects that is marked by irritation, panic
attacks, anxiety disorder, intense nervousness, inattentiveness,

Connotation
Sound carries a positive connotation, whereas noise carries a negative connotation. When you say
you heard a sound, you mean that you heard something that is audible, distinctive, definitive and
relevant. When you say that you heard a noise, you mean to say that you heard something that is
incomprehensible though audible, indistinctive, in definitive, and irrelevant. You would react
differently if are told to make some sound and make some noise.