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MUSONICS (616) 975-3465 • (800) 393-1315

Consulting & Design in Architectural Acoustics 3923 28th Street SE. # 351
www.musonics.org Grand Rapids, MI 49512

TECHNICAL NOTE
SOME NOTES ON DECIBELS
The decibel is the most common unit used to measure the For scientific purposes, it is necessary to
loudness of a sound. Many people know this, but few
measure sound more objectively and precisely.
have a clear understanding of the concept or a real sense
of what the numbers represent. This monograph provides To do this, we first establish a standard of
a not-too-technical explanation of the decibel as applied loudness or reference level (usually expressed
to some common sounds and experiences. in pascals or watts). We then compare the
loudness of any sound we wish to measure with

T
O BEGIN, LET’S LOOK AT THE DEFINITION
this reference level. This comparison is done by
and history of the word itself. The
a mathematical process resulting in a number
decibel (dB) is a unit of measurement
that was originally developed to measure (in decibels) which tells us how loud our sound
electricity, especially electrical power. It is also is compared to the reference level. The whole
used in acoustics to measure the loudness of computational process usually takes place
sound since there is a relationship between inside a sound level meter, and the meter
sound power and loudness. It is this acoustical displays the numerical result. This same sort of
use of the decibel which is most familiar to procedure (comparison to a reference standard)
laymen. Actually, the original unit was the is used for virtually all measurements including
“bel.” It was developed in the 1920s at Bell weight, length, color, etc. It’s just that the
Labs and named for Alexander Graham Bell. It measurement of sound is not a common
turned out that the original bel was too large for experience or need in daily life, so the
ordinary purposes and that one-tenth of a bel “measuring sticks” for sound (sound level
(the deci-bel) was more appropriate. The meters) are not common household items.
decibel, then, is an objective numerical quantity
used to measure the loudness of sound based on Decibel readings provided by sound level
the amount of power produced by a sound. meters are of little help to the average person
It may seem strange to use an objective since there is no intuitive relationship between
quantity for an experience that is so subjective, decibels and common auditory experiences. To
since it is well known that the sensitivity to provide a subjective interpretation of decibel
loudness varies from person to person. In fact, numbers, we ordinary use charts or tables that
this sensitivity also depends on the nature of tell us the loudness levels of various common
the sound itself. For example, the alarm on my sound sources. One common version of a dB
clock/radio, at 6 AM, seems louder than the table is included at the end of this note. Take a
music on the radio in the “wake up to music” look at this table now to get a feel for the
mode. In reality, the alarm may just be more loudness of various common sounds. The
annoying, not necessarily louder. There seems following provide some further elaborations:
to be an element of personal preference, taste,
and psychological association in the perception
of loudness.

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• Notice that the chart is not very precise. For As you review the dB table you may notice some
example, we don’t see listed any information peculiarities, especially when you compare the
about the brand or model of the 80-dB vacuum loudness of different sounds. For example, you may
cleaner, though we know that different vacuum ask:
cleaners can produce very different loudness
levels. This chart (and all other similar charts) Is the rustle of leaves (20 dB) twice as loud as
provides only an approximation of the loudness breathing (10 dB)? (Perhaps.)
of typical sound sources. You may find a Is conversation (60 dB) twice as loud as a
vacuum cleaner that produces 76 dB, or one at whisper (30 dB)? (That sounds more dubious.)
85 dB. But, you probably won’t find one that
produces 30 dB or 110 dB. You may have a sense that these are almost right, or
could be, depending on how loud one is breathing,
• The ordinary range of dB values is between 0 talking, or whispering. But things get more
and 120: these values are the “threshold of questionable as you move farther up the loudness
hearing” and “threshold of pain” respectively. scale. For example:
You will rarely encounter any sound that is not
within this range. Is a trailer truck (100 dB) twice as loud as the
ambient level in the average home (50 dB)?
• It is possible for a sound to be too quiet to be
heard, i.e., below the threshold of hearing— If a trailer truck is 100 dB, will two trucks be 200
below zero. It is, therefore, possible to have dB? And, if so, would those two trucks really be
negative values of dB. Your sense of hearing louder than a large jet takeoff at 50 feet away
cannot ordinarily detect such sounds, but which our dB table lists at 140 dB?
sensitive sound level meters can.
Our table is correct, but something is obviously
• The perception of loudness also depends on amiss. There are two fundamental problems here.
distance. From experience we know that the The first is that the decibel scale is logarithmic, not
farther we are from a sound source, the quieter it linear. Without delving into the math, let’s just say
appears to be. The standard rule for distance is that decibel numbers, being on a log scale, cannot
that the sound level drops by 6 dB when you be combined like apples, or inches, pounds, years,
double the distance from the source. nor most other quantities you are familiar with. The
values used to describe these latter things are on a
In your encounters with decibels, you may see linear scale. (I’ll touch on log scales a bit more
references to various kinds of dB, e.g., “dB(A)” as throughout this note, but with a minimum of math.)
in our dB table. You may also see dB(A) in specs
for home audio equipment. dB(A) values are The second difficulty with decibels is that if you
measured with sound meters equipped with an A examine comparisons (e.g., twice as loud, half as
weighting network, a set of electronic filters that loud) you will have trouble finding a correlation
between dB values and your perception of loudness.
approximates human hearing characteristics. You
This is because most of us have virtually no
see, our ears are not very sensitive to high
occasion to use decibels or logarithmic scales in
frequency (pitch) or low frequency sounds, but everyday situations. The decibel scale does not
microphones and meters are. A meter with a dB(A) conform with our expectations (based on
filter can, in effect, imitate the human ear and hear experiences with other scales of measurement). For
sound with about the same response as we do. Since example, if you double the number of inches, you’ll
we usually measure loudness to tell us something see something that looks twice as long; if you
about human response to sound, most sound double the number of decibels you probably won’t
measurements are rendered in dB(A). hear a sound that is twice as loud!

Tech Note: Some Notes on Decibels DF-8/8/95


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Ordinary speech is about 60 dB measured at 3 ft.


One way to comprehend the decibel scale is to from the talker. The sound level of two people talking
examine the notion of combining or adding sounds. (simultaneously and at 60 dB each) would be about
But, as you may already suspect, a method for the 63 dB.
addition and subtraction of decibels is not obvious.
A single violinist is sustaining a tone at 78 dB. Two
A rigorous explanation of decibel addition requires violinists sustaining the same tone (each at 78 dB)
a real comfort level with logarithms. Since most will produce a sound level of 81 dB.
people are uneasy and unfamiliar with logs, I will
explain the concept through examples rather than Let’s push this a little further:
mathematics. I will do this with the presentation of
Together our 2 violins are producing 81 dB. If we add
two rules of dB addition as simple numerical 2 more (i.e., double the number of violins for a total
concepts, and then see how the addition of actual of 4), we will have 84 dB. Add 4 more for a total of 8
sounds would be perceived by a listener. (another doubling) and we have 87 dB. Each
doubling adds 3 dB!
The first rule of dB addition is that when you
double the amount of sound (e.g., combine two The second rule is that when you combine 10 equal
equal* sound sources) the result will be 3 decibels sounds, the resulting sound will be 10 decibels louder.
louder. Stated as a rule: if you double the sound Simply add 10 dB to the level of one of the 10 levels. For
power, add 3 dB. This leads to some rather strange example:
expressions:
If you combine 10 equal sound sources, each
60 dB + 60 dB = 63 dB producing 15 dB, the result is 25 dB.
95 dB + 95 dB = 98 dB
If you write this out as 10 separate sources at 15 dB each,
Those look peculiar, but how about these: it looks a bit odd:

3 dB + 3 dB = 6 dB 15dB + 15dB + 15dB + 15dB + 15dB +


(Finally, that seems to make sense.) 15dB + 15dB + 15dB + 15dB + 15dB = 25 dB

0 dB + 0 dB = 3 dB ! Another example:
(But that really looks strange!)
10 sources at 86 decibels each is: 10 @ 86 dB = 96
All four examples are correct and follow directly from dB
applying the rule stated above.
The following will summarize our two rules:
Let’s see how this rule would be applied to some real-
If 1 person talking is 60 dB,
world examples: 2 would be 63 dB,
10 would be 70 dB.

If 1 violin is 78 dB,
* I am taking some liberty with the idea of two “equal” 2 would be 81 dB,
sounds. In the examples on this page, there could be a lot of
debate about how equal two talkers or two violinists might 10 would be 88 dB.
be. For now, let’s assume we have a perfect world and that
our equal sound sources are able to produce sounds that are (If you are adventurous, try extending the 3-dB rule to 4, 8, or
identical in every way.
16 sounds; the 10-dB rule to 100, 1,000, or 100,000. Then try
some combinations, e.g., 20 or 400.)

Tech Note: Some Notes on Decibels DF-8/8/95


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Let’s take a break from numbers. What does it sound like that your “$100 more” for twice the power will buy you
when sounds are combined? We’ll look at some common only 3 dB, i.e., a “just-noticeable difference” in loudness.
experiences for help. Have you ever attended a concert Remarkably, it would take a 1,000-Watt system
where a solo violin played with an orchestra? Let’s say, (10 times the power for a 10-dB increase) to “sound”
for simplicity, that there are 10 violins in the orchestra. twice as loud as a 100-Watt system.
Do those 10 violins (when playing together) sound 10
times louder than the solo violin? No! Not really. How If you now combine the rules and examples above, you
about a choral concert with a vocal soloist? Does a 100- can come to some surprising but reasonably accurate
voice chorus sound 100 times louder than the soloist? conclusions. For example:
No! Of course not. How about 2 vacuum cleaners? Do
they sound twice as loud as one? This last example is 1. It takes 10 violin players to sound twice as loud as 1.
less obvious. But, by now you might be wondering what
2. All other things being equal, a crowd of 100 people
is meant by “twice as loud.” It is not a precise concept.
will be just a little bit noisier than a crowd of 50
Acousticians realized that there was little correlation people. That’s because you have twice as many
between the decibel scale and the human perception of people and twice as much sound. But, twice as much
loudness. To find a relationship, tests were conducted sound power produces an increase of 3 dB which is
with thousands of people. Each subject sat in a our “just-noticeable difference.”
soundproof chamber in front of a loudspeaker. A sound
3. If two vacuum cleaners are running and are
was played and the listener adjusted the loudness until
disturbing you, then turning off only one of them
the sound was judged to be “twice as loud.” As a result
will have little effect. If each one alone produces 80
of these subjective tests we have a good idea of how the
decibels, then both together will produce 83 dB.
average person responds to loudness, and some basic
Now if you turn off one of them, the sound level
“rules-of-thumb” for acoustics:
drops from 83 down to 80. That is the “just-
1. If you increase the sound level of a tone by 10 noticeable difference.” Surprised? Try it yourself
decibels, it sounds about twice as loud. Conversely, sometime. You will be surprised! (Have you ever
if you decrease it by 10 dB, it sounds about half as noticed that it is difficult to tell when one of your
loud. stereo speakers is disconnected? That is because the
loudness drops by only 3 dB!)
2. It takes an increase of about 3 decibels for a listener
to hear any difference in loudness. In other words, There are two major conclusions to remember from this
one sound would have to be 3 decibels louder than discussion. First, although the decibel is a well-defined
another for you to hear any difference in loudness. A quantity in acoustics, the relation between decibels and
change of 3 dB is, therefore, referred to as a “just- the human perception of loudness is not straightforward.
noticeable difference.” (NB: In a laboratory and Second, expressions such as “twice as loud” or “half as
under ideal conditions, this just-noticeable loud” have no formal scientific definitions. We do have
difference is about 1 dB. The 3-dB value is for more some rules-of-thumb to help us work with these
common real-world situations.) concepts. But they are imprecise and subjective: they
vary greatly from person to person. This is true of most
You may want to keep these rules in mind the next time human senses. (Compare the notion of “twice as loud”
you’re shopping for a stereo. If a salesperson tells you with “twice as hot” or “twice as bright.”)
that for a $100 more you can buy a 200-Watt stereo
which will sound twice as loud as a 100-Watt system,
you will see that this sales pitch is false. You now know

Tech Note: Some Notes on Decibels DF-8/8/95


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Summary
No pedantic discourse would be complete without the
traditional brain-teaser to let you test your own • The decibel is a unit used to measure the loudness of
understanding of the concepts presented. Here are a few sound. Decibel numbers are based on a logarithmic
to think about. scale and do not combine like ordinary numbers.
Loudness measurements are typically done with
1. Joshua returned to Jericho only to find that the wall had
sound level meters.
been rebuilt with stronger materials. (Space-age carbon-
fiber composites, I suppose.) The new structure can
withstand a trumpet blast of 115 dB, but no more! The • In daily life, where sound level meters are
loudest sound Joshua can play with his trumpet is 100 dB. uncommon, loudness is estimated by making
Can Joshua plus 39 other equally gifted trumpeters make
the wall come tumbling down? subjective comparisons with sounds listed on dB
tables. This procedure, though inexact, is generally
2. AC/DC (a popular music group) was performing in a large sufficient since the human perception of sound is
theater. During rehearsal they found that with 20
loudspeakers, they could produce sounds of 120 dB at row
imprecise and subjective.
M (60 ft. away). How many more identical speakers will
they need to produce the same level at row Z (120 ft. • To work with decibels in most common situations,
away)? My apologies to AC/DC for using the “threshold you can apply the two basic rules listed below.
of pain,” 120 dB, for this example.
However, you must make a distinction between the
3. If the cooling fan on one IBM computer produces 55 dB, objective form of these rules (what the numbers say)
how loud are 4 fans? How loud are 20? 320? 8,000? — and your subjective experience of loudness (what
OK, for laughs, how loud are 64,000,000 fans?
your ears will hear).

1. If you double the amount of sound power, there


will be an increase in loudness of 3 dB. This 3-dB
Answers increase will sound louder, but only just-
noticeably louder. It will definitely not sound
1. Yes, 40 trumpets at 100 dB each will produce 116 dB. twice as loud.
2. 80 loudspeakers. If you double the distance, the loudness 2. If you increase sound power by 10 times, there
drops by 6 dB. (See page 2, paragraph 4.) This means that will be an increase in loudness of 10 dB. To the
20 loudspeakers will produce 114 dB at row Z. If you average listener, this 10-dB increase will sound
double the number of speakers you will have 117 db at
row Z; double again to get 80 loudspeakers at the level at about twice as loud.
row Z will be 120 dB.

3. 4 fans = 61 dB; 20 = 68 dB; 320 = 80 dB; 8,000 = 94 The following table summarizes these rules:
dB; 64,000,000 = 133 dB.

IF YOU INCREASE THE I NCREASE IN THE PERCEIVED


SOUND POWER MEASURED SOUND INCREASE IN
BY LEVEL WILL BE LOUDNESS WILL BE
2 times 3 dB just noticeable
10 times 10 dB twice as loud

— also (as a corollary) —

If you double the distance between the sound source and


the listener, the power per unit area at the listener’s
position will decrease by a factor of 4: the measured
sound level will decrease by 6 dB.

Tech Note: Some Notes on Decibels DF-8/8/95


MUSONICS (616) 975-3465 • (800) 393-1315
Consulting & Design in Architectural Acoustics page 6 of 6

COMMON NOISE SOURCES AND SOUND LEVELS


Source of information: National Bureau of Standards Handbook 119
(July 1976)

SOUND LEVEL in dB(A) NOISE SOURCE

140 ................................... Large jet at takeoff; 15 m (about 50 ft.) away

130 ................................... Air-raid siren; 15 m (about 50 ft.) away

120 ................................... Threshold of pain

110 ................................... Thunder, sonic boom

100 ................................... Trailer truck at roadside; 5 m (about 16 ft.)

90 ................................... Power lawn mower; 2 m (about 6 ft.)

80 ................................... Vacuum cleaner, garbage disposal; 2 m (about 6 ft.)

70 ................................... Freeway traffic; 15 m (about 50 ft.) away

60 ................................... Conversational speech; 1 m (about 3 ft.)

50 ................................... Ambient level in a typical residence

40 ................................... Ambient level in a typical bedroom

30 ................................... Soft whisper; 5 m (about 16 ft.)

20 ................................... Rustle of leaves

10 ................................... Breathing

0 ................................... Threshold of hearing

Tech Note: Some Notes on Decibels DF-8/8/95

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