Decibal Problem...Check my Work!!! please?

Question

QUESTION: a middle-aged man typically has poorer hearing than a middle-aged woman. in one case a woman can just begin to hear a musical tone, while a man can just begin to hear the tone only when its intensity level is increased by 7.8 dB relative to that for the woman. what is the ratio of the sound intensity just detected by the man to that just detected by the woman?

My Approach:

B(man) - B(woman) = 7.8 = 10log(I man/10^-12) - 10log(I woman/10^-12)

= 10log (I man/I woman)

7.8 = 10log(I man/I woman)

I man/ I woman = 6.03 <---is that a correct number?

Answer 1

Your figures are right. I'd only suggest you compare intensities directly instead of comparing to the reference intensity level. Otherwise, you are forfeiting the main advantage of using decibels as a measure of relative power. The rule is: if you have two comparable magnitudes, proceed right away. You should use preset reference levels only when you have nothing to compare against -as is the case for dBm, for instance.

(dBm: decibel power referred to 1 mW)

Answer 2

The correct answer is :

A middle-aged man has selective listening skills - and can tune out others any time he wants.

A middle-aged women does not ever care to do this, as she spent years straining to hear the whimpers of her child, and to understand children.

Put a number on that one! LOL
GOD bless

Answer 3

im not really good at physics but that seems about right..........hmpff.........hmpff..........lol.............dude i dont know we havent coverd that yet thats next samester so is spelling