decibel scale
Sound intensity metric
The decibel scale measures sound intensity logarithmically rather than linearly—each 10-decibel increase represents a tenfold increase in sound energy.
This matches how human ears perceive loudness: 30 decibels (a whisper) sounds much closer to 40 decibels (light rain) than to 130 decibels (a jet engine).
The scale is used for noise regulations, hearing safety, and audio engineering.
- loudnessPerceived sound intensity
- volumeAmount of space filled
- soundAudible wave phenomenon
- noiseUnwanted auditory disturbance
- noise pollutionHarmful environmental sound
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