How does moving a listener further away from a loudspeaker affect sound intensity?

As a listener moves further away from a loudspeaker, the sound intensity experienced by that listener decreases. This phenomenon can be understood through the inverse square law, which states that the intensity of sound diminishes as the distance from the source increases. Specifically, the sound energy spreads out uniformly over a larger area as the distance increases, leading to a reduction in the intensity perceived by the listener.

To visualize this, consider that sound waves emanate from the loudspeaker in a spherical manner. As the distance from the loudspeaker doubles, the surface area over which the sound energy is distributed increases by a factor of four, thereby reducing the intensity to one-fourth. This concept is fundamental to understanding how sound propagation works in various environments and is crucial in audio design, placement of speakers, and the overall planning of sound systems to ensure appropriate coverage and sound quality.

The other options suggest that the intensity either increases, has no effect, or oscillates, which do not align with acoustic principles governing sound propagation.