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Sound Measurement

Sound measurement provides a standardized way to quantify noise levels and evaluate how sound may affect people and their environment.

A decibel (dB) is a unit used to measure sound intensity. Decibels are measured on a logarithmic scale; as a general reference, perceived loudness approximately doubles with each 10 dB increase.

Type of Sound	Decibel (dB)	General Effect
Jet Takeoff	150	Risk of Immediate Hearing Damage
Train Horn	130	Risk of Hearing Damage
Car Alarm	120	Near Pain Threshold
Leaf Blower	100	Increased Risk of Hearing Loss
Motorcycle	90	Prolonged Exposure Risk
Traffic Noise	80	Loud
Vacuum Cleaner	70	Intrusive
Conversation	50	Baseline
Whisper	30	Very Quiet
Breathing	20	Barely Audible

Actual sound levels and health effects vary based on distance, duration of exposure, and environmental conditions.

In sound measurement, the A-weighting standard (dBA) is commonly used to approximate human hearing sensitivity. C-weighting (dBC) is often used to assess lower-frequency sound energy, including sounds that may be perceived as vibration.