Find the sound intensity level in decibels of $2.00\times 10^{-2}{\text{ W/m}}^2$ ultrasound used in medical diagnostics.

Video Transcript

This is College Physics Answers with Shaun Dychko. The intensity of the ultrasound used during diagnostic imaging is 2.00 times 10 to the minus 2 watts per square meter and we are asked to figure out how many decibels is this... what is its sound intensity level in other words? So that level is gonna be 10 times logarithm of the intensity divided by the intensity of the threshold of hearing. So that's 10 times logarithm of 2.00 times 10 to the minus 2 watts per square meter divided by 10 to the minus 12 watts per square meter and that's 103 decibels.