Question

The Athletic Department at your school hosts a celebrity football game for which no tickets are sold but cash donations are welcome and expected. Since tickets are not collected, they are looking for a creative manner to get a good estimate of the number of fans attending the event. Before the day of the game, you stand in the middle of the field and record the sound intensity level of a friend midway up in the stands as 46.2 dB. Before the game starts, the announcer asks for a big round of applause and appreciation for participating celebrities and you record the sound intensity level as 81 dB. What is your estimate of the number of people attending the event?

Answer 1

Sound intensity level due to only your friend = ₁ = 46.2 dB

Sound intensity due to only your friend = I₁

I₁ = 4.169 x 10^-8 W/m²

Sound intensity level due to the crowd = ₂ = 81 dB

Sound intensity due to the crowd = I₂

I₂ = 1.259 x 10^-4 W/m²

Estimate number of people attending the event = n

I₂ = nI₁

1.259x10^-4 = n(4.169x10^-8)

n = 3020

Estimate number of people attending the event = 3020