Intensity of Sound, Intensity Level and the Doppler Effect

Grade 11 · Physics

Semester 2 | Period 5 | Week 28

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Subject: Physics

Semester: 2

Period: 5

Week: 28


School Name:

Teacher’s Name:

Subject: Physics

Grade Level: Grade 11

Week & Period: Week 28, Period V

Date:

Sub-topic: Intensity of Sound, Intensity Level, and the Doppler Effect

Learning Objectives:

By the end of the lesson, learners should be able to:

  1. Define sound intensity and intensity level.
  2. Explain the relationship between loudness, intensity, and decibel scale.
  3. Distinguish between intensity and loudness.
  4. Explain the Doppler Effect and its real-life applications.
  5. Solve numerical problems involving intensity and Doppler Effect.

 

Previous Knowledge:

Learners have been introduced to sound production, transmission, and its characteristics including pitch and loudness.

 

Instructional Materials:

  • Sound meter or phone app with decibel reader
  • Moving sound source (e.g., ringing bell on string)
  • Charts of intensity levels in decibels
  • Car horn or speaker (optional)
  • Videos showing Doppler shift in sirens or passing vehicles

 

Anticipation (Warm-Up) – 5 minutes:

Ask:

  • "Why does a car horn sound different as it moves past you?"
  • "What happens to the loudness of music as you walk away from a speaker?"

Play a sound clip of a car passing by and ask learners to describe the change in sound.


Intensity Level (dB)

Example

10–30

Whisper

60

Normal conversation

90+

Loud machinery

120

Pain threshold

 

  1. Loudness vs Intensity:
  • Intensity is objective (measurable); loudness is subjective (depends on human hearing).

 

  1. Doppler Effect:
  • Change in frequency due to relative motion between source and observer.
  • Approaching source → higher frequency (pitch)
  • Receding source → lower frequency (pitch)

Learners’ Activities:

  • Use decibel app to measure sound levels in different classroom areas.
  • Roleplay observer and moving sound source to simulate Doppler effect.
  • Solve intensity and Doppler-related calculations.

 

Experiment:

Title: Demonstrating the Doppler Effect

Materials: Toy car or cart, bell or buzzer, stopwatch, microphone or phone recorder

Procedure:

  1. Attach buzzer to moving cart.
  2. Roll cart toward and away from listener.
  3. Record sound and compare frequency/pitch.

Observation: Pitch is higher when source approaches, lower when it moves away.

Homework / Assignment:

  1. Explain how the Doppler Effect helps in measuring speed of cars.
  2. Find the observed frequency if a 400 Hz source approaches a stationary listener at 20 m/s.
  3. List 3 devices that measure or apply sound intensity.

 

Expanded Notes:

  • Doppler Effect used in police radars, ultrasound scans, astronomy
  • Ear perceives sound logarithmically – hence decibels
  • High exposure to sound above 85 dB can damage hearing

 

Differentiation:

  • Videos and role-play for auditory and kinesthetic learners
  • Guided calculation examples for struggling learners
  • Chart and decibel meter visuals for visual learners

 

Teacher’s Reflection:

  • Did learners correctly relate pitch and motion in Doppler Effect?
  • Were logarithmic intensity concepts understood?
  • Was the concept of decibels clearly communicated?