Bird and Elephant
In the jungle, the Bird is chirping with a high pitched voice, whereas the Elephant is trumpeting with a very low pitched voice. If the Bird and the Elephant make the sound with same intensity, then which sound can be heard clearly for a greater distance?
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1 solution
High pitched sound attenuates more than a low pitched sound. That is, a high pitched sound's intensity falls more quickly compared to a low pitched sound as we move away from the sound source. One possible explanation is that in a high pitched sound, the particles move with a greater speed for the same pressure, so they experience a greater viscous force, and the wave loses energy more quickly.
The signal-to-noise ratio increases more quickly for a high pitched sound, so at a far distance, it is more difficult to differentiate the sound signal from the unwanted background noise. A low pitched noise can be heard more clearly, so low pitched sound travels a greater distance. This is why when we listen to some music playing far away, we can hear the bass drum clearly, but cannot make out what the singer is singing.
The Elephant's trumpet has a lower pitch than the Bird's chirp, so it would be heard clearly for a greater distance.