What is the difference between sound wave energy and intensity?

1 answer

Sound wave energy refers to the mechanical energy that propagates through a medium as a sound wave. It is the actual physical energy associated with the vibration of particles in the medium.

Intensity, on the other hand, refers to the power of the sound wave per unit area and is a measure of how much energy is transferred by the wave per unit time. Intensity is directly proportional to the square of the amplitude of the sound wave, meaning that as the amplitude of the wave increases, the intensity also increases. Intensity is usually measured in units such as watts per square meter.

In summary, sound wave energy refers to the actual physical energy of the wave, while intensity is a measure of the power of the wave per unit area.