Atypical adult ear has a surface area of 2.90 × 10-3 m2. the sound intensity during a normal conversation is about 2.19 × 10-6 w/m2 at the listener's ear. assume that the sound strikes the surface of the ear perpendicularly. how much power is intercepted by the ear?

Explanation:

The relationship between power and intensity of a sound is given by:

where

I is the intensity

P is the power

A is the area considered

In this problem, we know

is the surface area of the ear

is the intensity of the sound

Re-arranging the equation, we can find the power intercepted by the ear: