WHAT ARE SOME DECIBEL LEVELS OF WELL KNOWN LOUD NOISES? One tenth of a Bel is thus a decibel, which is the unit of measure now used universally. In honor of Graham Bell, this measure was eventually renamed again to the Bel. Over time, this measure was standardized and renamed as the Transmission Unit, or the TU. This is the amount of power or signal intensity that was lost over one mile of cable. The original telephone companies came to agree upon a measure of signal loss known as Miles of Standard Cable, (MSC). Telephone circuits are prone to losses in signal power over transmissions lines, and thus a need existed to quantify the magnitude of these losses. The story of how it came to be so named is quite straightforward. This universal scientific scale is now known as the decibel, which is a logarithmic way of describing the ratio between two quantities. This method of representing numbers is of great value in situations where large variations in quantity are involved, such as the differences in sound intensity. If we start at 10 on a logarithmic scale and count upward by only ONE space, this represents a 10-fold increase in quantity. On a linear scale, this is only twice as great as the original number. To put things in a little perspective, linear scales measure straightforward changes in quantities, while logarithmic scales measure exponential changes.įor example, if we start at the number 10 on a ruler and count 10 spaces up, we will come to 20. To make it easier to handle this huge range, a logarithmic scale was adopted, as opposed to the linear scale which is used by things such as rulers. This huge range means that when we attempt to measure the sounds the ears hear, the huge variation can make it impossible to perform the necessary calculations. This presents problems in some ways, though. One of the gifts of the ear is its ability to sense sounds over a wide range of sound levels. They are marvelously calibrated auditory tools, and are quite capable of registering a wide variety of frequencies and intensities. These are the organs that help to give us an awareness of the sounds in our environment. Let's have a discussion about the amazing human ear to start with. SO, JUST WHAT IS A DECIBEL, AND HOW DID IT COME TO BE NAMED? These questions include, just what is a decibel, and how did it come to be so named? What are the decibel levels of some well-known loud noises? And, how does the science apply to everyday products? Let's answer these questions. It will help to educate our readers along the way, and it will answer some questions that are relevant to the subject. This article will take a closer look at this specialized system of measure, known universally in technical circles as the decibel, or dB. For various reasons, it is very important that we have a way to measure the strength and the intensity of these signals, and luckily we have developed a system to do just that. Physical sounds allow us to experience our environment in a way like no other, communicate with each other easily, compose beautiful music, and so much more.Īs most people will know, sounds are actually pressure waves in the atmosphere around us that vibrate at frequencies that our ears are sensitive to. Sound is an integral part of life as we know it. Why We Use The Decibel Scale To Measure Sound Level
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