alleryStart learning →How is the intensity of a sound wave defined?
Athe power per unit area carried by the wave
Bthe energy per unit volume stored in the wave
Cthe amplitude squared of the wave's frequency
Dthe total distance the wave travels per second
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. the power per unit area carried by the wave
1. Sound intensity is defined as the power per unit area carried by the wave.
2. This matches option A directly.
3. Option B confuses energy per volume with power per area, a different quantity.
4. Options C and D describe neither power nor area and do not match the definition.
_Source: OpenStax Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 14 "Sound", section 14.2 Sound Intensity and Sound Level_
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