Question

A weather emergency siren is mounted on a tower, 105 m above the ground. On one hand, it would be a good idea to make the siren very loud so that it will warn as many people as possible. On the other hand, safety regulations prohibit the siren from exceeding an intensity level of 111 dB for workers standing on the ground directly below the siren.

Assuming that the sound is uniformly emitted, what is the maximum power that the siren can put out?

maximium power output:

How far away from the base of the tower can a person be and still be able to hear the siren? Neglect any absorption of sound energy by the air; although, in reality, such absorption would be significant at long distances.

maximum audible distance:

Answer 1