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Try It 10.52: Calculating the Decibel Level of City Traffic

To find the decibel level of heavy city traffic with an intensity of 10310^{-3} watts per square inch, apply the decibel level formula D = 10 \log\left(\frac{I}{10^{-12}} ight). Substituting the given intensity for II yields D = 10 \log\left(\frac{10^{-3}}{10^{-12}} ight). Simplifying the fraction results in D=10log(109)D = 10 \log(10^9). Evaluating the common logarithm gives D=109D = 10 \cdot 9, which results in a decibel level of 9090 dB.

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Updated 2026-05-25

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