Question

Comment on the statement ‘loudness of sound is a subjective quantity, while intensity is an objective quantity.’

Answer 1

Hint The loudness of sound is determined by the function of the intensity of the sound wave. The loudness of a sound relates to the intensity of the sound wave of any given sound to the intensity of sound wave at the threshold of hearing.

Complete step by step answer:
1. The intensity of a sound wave at a point of the medium is the amount of sound energy passing per second generally through a unit area at that point.
2. The loudness of a sound depends upon the intensity i.e. the energy carried by the sound wave near the eardrum of the listener.
3. Loudness also depends on the sensitivity of the ears of the hearer. Thus the loudness of sound of a given intensity may vary from listener to listener.
4. Further, two sounds of the equal intensity but of different frequencies may vary in loudness even to the same hearer. This is because the sensitivity of ears is not the same for different frequencies.
5. As a result the loudness has a subjective nature while intensity, being a measurable quantity, has an objective nature.

Additional information Loudness of sound is not just the energy that is meeting our human ear but it also tells us about the disclosure of this energy that relies upon the sensitivity of the human ear so loudness of a sound depends on the sensitivity of the ear. We can call it the intensity of sound. There are also some factors on which the loudness of the sound depends on and we will see them one by one:
(A) Build-up of loudness upon the concussing body’s surface area.
(B) Loudness reduces as the distance increases.
(C) Loudness depends upon the force by which the object is trembling.

Note Loudness is the subjective observation of sound pressure. The sensation of the loudness of sound is not proportional to the energy intensity, but slightly a logarithmic function. Always remember loudness is directly related to the intensity of the sound that means if the value of intensity changes, there value of loudness also changes.