Bels and Decibels

Levels and the Decibel

The sound pressure of the faintest sound that a normal healthy individual can
hear is about 0.00002 Pa. The sound pressure produced by a Saturn rocket at liftoff
is greater than 200 Pa. Even in scientific notation this is an astronomical range of
numbers.
To cope with this problem, a scale based on the logarithm of the ratios of the
measured quantities is used. Measurement on this scale are called levels. The unit
for these types of measurement scales is the bel, which was named after Alexander
Graham Bell:

L =log Q
0

(15-7)

Where L1 = level, bels

Q = measured quantity
Q0 = reference quantity
Log = logarithm in base 10
A bel turns out to be a rather larger unit, so for convenience it is divided into 10
subunits called decibels(dB). Levels in decibel are computed as follows:

Q
L = 10log Q
0
(15-8)
The decibel does not represent any physical unit. It merely indicates that a
logarithmic transformation has been performed.

Community Noise Criteria

CNEL = Community Noise Equivalent Level
This is used to characterize average sound levels over a 24-hour period, with
weighting factors included for evening and nightmare sound levels. Leq values for
the evening period (7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.) are increased by 5 dB, while Leq
values for the nightmare period (10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.) are increased by 10 dB.
For a given set of sound measurements, the CNEL value will usually be about 1 dB
higher than the Ldn value. In practice, CNEL and Ldn are often used
interchangeably.
LAeqT = Equivalent continuous sound level
The steady state dB(A) level which would produce the same A-weighted sound
energy over a stated period of time as a specified time varying sound.
Ldn = 24 hour LAeqT
LAeqT except 10dB is added to all levels measured between 2200 and 0700 hours.
LN = dB(A) level exceeded N% of the time
L90 is the dB(A) level exceeded 90% of the time and is commonly used to estimate
ambient noise level.
SEL = Sound Exposure Level
Used to describe the amount of noise from an event such as an individual aircraft
flyover.
SENEL = Single Event Noise Exposure Level
The noise exposure level of a single event measured over the time between the
initial and final points when the noise level exceeds a predetermined threshold.
Time Weighted Average (TWA)
The yardstick used by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to
measure noise levels in the workplace. It is equal to a constant sound level lasting
eight hours that would cause the same hearing damage as the variable noises that
a worker is actually exposed to (hearing loss, of course, occurs over long term
exposures).

Sound power, sound intensity and sound pressure level

Sound Power Level. If the reference quantity (Q0) is specified, then the decibel
takes on physical significance. For noise measurements, the reference power level
has been established as 10-12W. Thus, sound power level may be expressed as:

Lw = 10log 1012
(15-9)
Sound power level computed with Equation 15-9 are reported as decibels re: 10 -12W.
Sound Intensity Level. For noise measurements, the reference and intensity
(Equation 15-4) is
10-12W m-2. Thus the sound intensity level is given as:

I
LI = 10log 1012
(15-10)
Sound Pressure Level. Because sound-measuring instruments measure the p rms,
the sound pressure level is computed as follows:

Lp = 10log

p rms

( p rms)2

(15-11)
Which, after extracting the squaring term, is given as

( p rms)

Lp = 20log ( p rms ) 0
(15-12)
The reference pressure has been established as 20 Pa (micropascals). A scale
showing some common sound pressure levels is shown in Figure 15-3.