What effect does doubling the distance from a sound source have on sound power?

Doubling the distance from a sound source results in a decrease of approximately 6 dB in sound power, which is due to the inverse square law of sound propagation. This law states that as sound travels, its intensity decreases proportionally to the square of the distance from the source. When the distance is doubled, the sound intensity is spread over a larger area, causing the power to diminish significantly. Specifically, for every doubling of the distance, the sound intensity diminishes by a factor of four, leading to a decrease of 6 dB (since a decrease of 3 dB corresponds to a halving of intensity). This phenomenon is crucial in understanding sound levels in various environments, such as occupational and environmental noise assessments. The decrease in sound intensity with increasing distance is a key factor to consider in industrial hygiene and workplace safety evaluations.