For measured values this means that a circular saw is not just twice as loud as talking but that its relative sound pressure is actually approx. The decibel scale is structured logarithmically. dB values are most often given in dB (A) – the A standing for the use of the A filter, otherwise known as the sound level evaluation curve A.ĭecibel values are thus only linear at first glance – 120 dB seem to be twice as loud as 60 dB.

The value on the scale thus corresponds more with our perceptions and is made measurable. Using various filters, particularly low or high frequencies are reduced or regulated depending on our perception. It looks at the unique capability of human hearing to strongly differentiate low sound levels while even large differences in sound pressure are not as precisely perceived in the high decibel range. The decibel scale was introduced to make measurements easier for us to grasp. Measuring sound pressure levels is complex and requires complicated calculations. To keep your hearing healthy, educate yourself on hearing protection and what devices are appropriate to where in certain situations. Various hearing protection products such as ear plugs for music lovers only filter out disrupting, damaging frequencies, however. Therefore, in noisy environments it is very important to protect one’s hearing to tampen dB levels from a dangerous level to a safe level. It makes things easier if a logarithmic scale is used this is what the decibel scale is. The ratio of intensities between silence and ‘ow that hurts my ears’ is about 1:100 million million. Thus, 60 dB are perceived as twice as loud as 50 dB. The human ear is capable of hearing very quiet (low intensity) sounds and extremely loud (high intensity) sounds.

Perception of volume is always subjective and depends on one’s own hearing but generally speaking, an increase of 10 dB roughly corresponds to the perceived volume doubling in intensity. It is used as a unit of sound pressure level. What’s important to know is that 100 dB are not twice as loud as 50 dB. Why do we use Decibel (dB) The decibel is mostly applied in acoustics. Painful sound levels go from 120 dB on up. Volumes of approximately 50 dB are pleasant for us, while the discomfort threshold starts at around 100 dB. The lowest perceivable volume, meaning the quietest sound humans can hear, is 0 decibels. To measure volume we use the unit of decibels – abbreviated to dB. The more energy a sound has the louder we perceive it. Depending on the energy with which the oscillations – meaning the sound waves – hit our ear drums, we perceive them as loud or quiet. Only once they are transferred to our brain, are they converted into information. This unit of measurement is called decibels.Īll sounds we perceive consist of air pressure oscillations that hit our ear drums. When measuring a sound's volume, you're actually measuring the sound pressure level.

Why are decibel scales useful