Your stereo is set to a sound intensity level (SIL) of 40 dB. I\'d like to know

Question

Your stereo is set to a sound intensity level (SIL) of 40 dB. I'd like to know what this means in terms of energy flow: what is the intensity of the sound wave this produces? Compute your answer in W/m2, but do not enter units. If your answer is 3.4E-12 W/m2, enter 3.4E-12. Note: When you're given a SIL like this, what it really means is that the sound is 40 dB more than the minimum intensity perceptible, which is 1E-12 W/m2).
Something to think about -- Does this seem like a lot of sound energy or not so much?

Explanation / Answer

The equation which relates the intensity of a sound wave to its decibel level is:
dB = 10*log( I / (1.0*10^-12 W/m2))
=> 40= 10*log( I / (1.0*10^-12 W/m2))
=> I= 10^(-8)

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