The Loudest Insect in the World: The Cicada

How loud is the sound level of a cicada recorded at a distance of ?

A) Insufficient information B) 85 dB C) 90 dB D) 95 dB

Answer:

Without additional information such as the initial distance and the sound level at that distance, it is impossible to determine the sound level at a different distance.

The cicada is one of the loudest insects in the world, known for its high-pitched buzzing sound that can reach up to 120 decibels. When measuring sound levels, the decibel scale is used to quantify the intensity of the sound. The decibel scale is logarithmic, which means that a small change in decibels represents a large change in sound intensity.

When recording the sound level of a cicada at a certain distance, various factors can influence the accuracy of the measurement. These factors include the initial distance from the cicada, background noise, and the sensitivity of the recording device. Without knowing the initial sound level and distance, it is challenging to accurately determine the sound level at a different distance.

For example, if you are recording a cicada at a distance of 1 meter and measure a sound level of 90 dB, the sound level may change when you move to a distance of 2 meters due to the inverse square law of sound propagation. Additionally, if there are multiple cicadas producing sound simultaneously, the overall sound level may vary.

In conclusion, accurately measuring the sound level of a cicada requires considering various factors and ensuring that the measurement conditions are consistent. Without sufficient information on the initial distance and sound level, it is difficult to determine the exact sound level at a different distance.