Final answer:
The difference in sound intensity levels heard by the father and mother is approximately -12.11 dB.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the difference in sound intensity levels heard by the father and mother, we can use the formula:
βfather - βmother = 10 log10(Ifather/Imother)
Given that the distance of the baby's mouth from the father's ear is 35 cm, and the distance from the baby's mouth to the mother's ear is 1.60 m, we can calculate the ratio of the intensities.
Using the inverse square law, the ratio of intensities is:
Ifather/Imother = (distance from father's ear / distance from mother's ear)2
Ifather/Imother = (0.35 / 1.60)2
Ifather/Imother ≈ 0.0614
Substituting this value into the first formula, we can calculate the difference in sound intensity levels:
βfather - βmother = 10 log10(0.0614)
βfather - βmother ≈ 10(-1.211)
βfather - βmother ≈ -12.11 dB