Background: The Figure below shows decibel levels of several different sounds. As decibel levels get higher, sound waves have greater intensity and sounds are louder. For every 10-decibel increase in the intensity of sound, loudness is 10 times greater. Therefore, a 30-decibel “quiet” room is 10 times louder than a 20-decibel whisper, and a 40-decibel light rainfall is 100 times louder than the whisper. High-decibel sounds are dangerous. They can damage the ears and cause loss of hearing.

Situation: Scientists are performing an audio experiment on a volunteer. Chris is sat in a chair, and two different sounds will be played for him as the scientists observe his reactions. Sound X has a high decibel level and sound Y has a lower decibel level.

Question: Which sound has sound waves with more intensity?
Answer: Sound X

Situation: Scientists are performing an audio experiment on a volunteer. Chris is sat in a chair, and two different sounds will be played for him as the scientists observe his reactions. Sound X has a high decibel level and sound Y has a lower decibel level.

Question: Which sound has sound waves with less intensity?
Answer: sound Y

Situation: Scientists are performing an audio experiment on a volunteer. Chris is sat in a chair, and two different sounds will be played for him as the scientists observe his reactions. Sound X has a high decibel level and sound Y has a lower decibel level.

Question: Is sound X louder or quieter than sound Y?
Answer: louder

Situation: Scientists are performing an audio experiment on a volunteer. Chris is sat in a chair, and two different sounds will be played for him as the scientists observe his reactions. Sound X has a high decibel level and sound Y has a lower decibel level.

Question: Is sound Y louder or quieter than sound X?
Answer: quieter

Situation: Scientists are performing an audio experiment on a volunteer. Chris is sat in a chair, and two different sounds will be played for him as the scientists observe his reactions. Sound X has a high decibel level and sound Y has a lower decibel level.

Question: Which sound is more likely to make Chris lose hearing?
Answer: Sound X

Situation: Scientists are performing an audio experiment on a volunteer. Chris is sat in a chair, and two different sounds will be played for him as the scientists observe his reactions. Sound X has a high decibel level and sound Y has a lower decibel level.

Question: Which sound is less likely to make Chris lose hearing?
Answer: sound Y

Situation: Jonathan is attending a football game for his favorite team. Before the game, there will be a fireworks display and a fly over by some jet fighter planes. Jonathan has been looking forward to the fireworks for weeks because he has heard they are really great. The fireworks begin and their sound waves are of a high intensity. After the fireworks, the jets fly over and the sound waves for that has an even higher intensity than the fireworks did.

Question: Which sound has a higher decibel level?
Answer: jets

Situation: Jonathan is attending a football game for his favorite team. Before the game, there will be a fireworks display and a fly over by some jet fighter planes. Jonathan has been looking forward to the fireworks for weeks because he has heard they are really great. The fireworks begin and their sound waves are of a high intensity. After the fireworks, the jets fly over and the sound waves for that has an even higher intensity than the fireworks did.

Question: Which sound has a lower decibel level?
Answer: fireworks

Situation: Jonathan is attending a football game for his favorite team. Before the game, there will be a fireworks display and a fly over by some jet fighter planes. Jonathan has been looking forward to the fireworks for weeks because he has heard they are really great. The fireworks begin and their sound waves are of a high intensity. After the fireworks, the jets fly over and the sound waves for that has an even higher intensity than the fireworks did.

Question: Which sound more likely damaged Jonathan's ears?
Answer: jets

Situation: Jonathan is attending a football game for his favorite team. Before the game, there will be a fireworks display and a fly over by some jet fighter planes. Jonathan has been looking forward to the fireworks for weeks because he has heard they are really great. The fireworks begin and their sound waves are of a high intensity. After the fireworks, the jets fly over and the sound waves for that has an even higher intensity than the fireworks did.

Question: Which sound less likely damaged Jonathan's ears?
Answer: fireworks