Decibel: what is it?

A decibel is one tenth of a bela, or in other words, a tenth of the logarithm of an unlimited ratio of a general physical quantity to another physical quantity, which is usually taken as the initial one. Since the early days of using this value (used to initialize the intensity of sound), the decibel unit has been named after A. G. Bell. So, the decibel (dB) is considered to be the initial unit by which most designers in the telecommunications industry make comparisons of the characteristics of equipment.

But what is dB? First of all, it is a unit for determining the level of sound, dB indicates how strong the sound is in its volume. To get it, you can contact our laboratory.

So, dB is the generally accepted variation in the dynamic range (for example, the volume of the sound of a musical instrument), the attenuation of the wave when distributed in an absorbing medium, the gain and noise figure of the amplifier.

It can also be noted that the decibel as a unit of measurement is widely used to study the physical quantities of this regulation (such as power, etc.), as well as the first order, such as voltage, current strength.

What is the definition of a decibel?

So, let's talk about the unit of measure for noise - the decibel. The decibel is considered to be a physical characteristic of sound volume. What is noise? You can call noise randomly mixed sounds. So, in order to determine what threshold of human sensitivity to sounds, a study was conducted.

• 0 - No hearing at all
• 0-5 - Almost no audible noise
• 5-10 - Barely recognizable noise comparable to the rustling of leaves
• 10-15 - You can barely hear the rustle of leaves
• 15-20 - You can barely hear the whispering of a person
• 20-25 - The whispering of a person is softly heard
• 25-30 - Squeezed clock tick
• 30-35 - Quiet conversation behind a closed door
• 35-40 - Slightly audible everyday speech

• 40-45 Normal conversation heard
• 45-50 - Conversation with detailed word recognition
• 50-55 - Heard well. Regulation for class A office buildings
• 55-60 - Loud. Regulation for companies
• 60-65 - Loud conversation in raised tones
• 65-70 - Very noisy. Quarreling
• 70-75 - Very loud. Laughter, cry
• 75-80 - Deafening squeal, muffled motorcycle rumble
• 80-85 - Deafening scream, near a motorcycle with a silencer
• 85-90 - Deafening screech close to dimensions, railway train
• 90-95 - Extremely noisy, the sound of a moving subway car
• 95-100 - Extremely loud orchestra, thunder
• 100-105 - Extremely noisy, the sound of an airplane (until the 80s of the twentieth century)
• 105-110 - Extremely loud, helicopter turbine
• 110-115 - Extremely noisy
• 115-120 - Maximum loud, jackhammer operation
• 120-125 - Almost impossible loud
• 125-130 - Pain threshold, aircraft launch
• 135-135 - Contusion
• 135-140 - Contusion, jet turbine startup sound
• 140-145 - Contusion, rocket launch
• 145-150 - Contusion, injuries
• 150-155 - Contusion, injuries
• 155-160 - Shock

According to this scale, the higher the sound in dB, the more damaging the effect it will have on a person's hearing.

The units of measurement for sound are decibels. In turn, by sound we mean various mechanical vibrations of particles of an elastic medium, for example, air, water, or metal, which are perceived by the organ of hearing. Also, the speed of sound directly depends on the physical properties of the medium in which mechanical vibrations are distributed, and the saturation of sound is characterized by the amount of sound energy that passes per unit of time through a unit area. Sound pressure levels and sound strength levels, formulated in decibels, are consistent in magnitude. Remember that the threshold of hearing in humans corresponds to sound pressure. As for the volume of sound, it depends directly on the strength and frequency, and is expressed in decibels. To measure noise, vibration or microbiological analysis of air, you can contact our laboratory.

The effect of increased decibels on the human body

Noise units are decibels, as noise is known to have a critical impact on the health and general well-being of a person. If you are concerned about the volume of noise in your apartment, or you want to investigate, then it is advisable to contact the EcoTestExpress private laboratory and our experts will help you sort out your problems.

The generally accepted unit of measurement of the noise level is dB, depending on the indicator of this unit, the noise pollution of the room is determined. If you have a question how to measure decibels, the answer to this question is simple, the noise level in dB is easy to calculate using a sound level meter. What is a sound level meter? This is a device with which you can easily determine the intensity of noise in an apartment or any other room.

It is also worth mentioning that when studying sound and fluctuating levels, it is necessary that the variation of the arrow of the sound level meter device correspond to these measurements as accurately as possible. However, due to accelerated measurements, the measured sound levels can cause accelerated fluctuations and, as a result, obtaining correct results becomes burdensome or even impossible. In accordance with this, there are sound level meters that can provide results in a short time.

With regard to the study and measurement of short-term and impulse sounds, a so-called impulse sound level meter is needed. It is worth saying that the achievability of fixing the data of a measuring device or an indicator of a sound level meter is effective and convenient when measuring various types of short-term sounds. Thanks to such a device, you can independently determine the noise in decibels, and determine what harm it causes to the human body.

There are frequency ranges of sound, depending on which the strength of the sound is determined. The sub-bands of the audio spectrum that are targeted two-way or three-way speaker filters:

• low frequencies - changes up to 400 hertz;
• medium frequencies - 400 - 5000 Hz;
• high frequencies - 5000 - 20000 Hz.

If we consider the speed of sound and the distance of distribution, it directly depends on the following factors: air temperature, also depending on the material in which this or that sound propagates.

environmental noise

Environmental noise is considered to be the main factor in environmental pollution, which consists in increasing the noise level above the natural background, and also has a negative effect on all living organisms and on humans in particular. Allocate domestic, industrial, transport, industrial, aviation and traffic noise. The unit of measure for noise pollution is the decibel. It should be said that the primary sources of noise in large cities are large industrial facilities, during which the noise level can reach up to 100-110 dB. A large source of noise is also road transport 80 dB, also railway, the noise from it reaches up to 100 dB, but if the residential building is located near the airfield, then the noise threshold there can reach 105 dB.

According to studies, in Russia over 30 percent of residents of large cities are exposed to excess noise levels, the decibel level is constantly increased to 65 units. In comparison, 50 decibels corresponds to the noise in an office building. But it's not a secret for anyone that every person needs a rest from noise, because noise negatively affects the mental state of a person, even from constant noise, people's hearing goes down.

How to check the noise level?

If you think that your apartment has an increased noise level, but you do not have a sound level meter at hand, you can use the decibel meter online, for this you just need to install a certain application on your gadget. There are special programs that can be installed on a computer, it is very easy to measure the sound power in decibels in your apartment. It is worth noting only that the better the recording equipment is used, the more accurate the final result will be.

For example, for better sound recording, it is enough to buy a good microphone. Then you can use third-party programs to measure sound volume. For example, Audacity is a free program that records various sounds, which has the usual built-in decibel meter. If you do not want to install the program and purchase a microphone, but you think that there is a high noise level in your apartment or you want to conduct it, you just need to contact EcoTestExpress. Here they will measure the decibels in your apartment and give a conclusion about what the noise level is. In big cities, there is always a problem with high noise levels, so it is advisable to carry out such checks in order to protect yourself and your loved ones from negative impacts. After all, as you know, a lot of diseases arise from a high level of noise, attention is scattered and real deafness sets in.

Why choose us?

First of all, I would like to say that our independent laboratory "EcoTestExpress" has been conducting its qualitative studies not only of noise, but also of other studies for the past fourteen years. During this time, our laboratory has become one of the best of its kind.

If you need to conduct a noise study with the further possibility of using the study protocol in government agencies, you can safely contact us. This is because, in addition to quick analysis and issuance of conclusions, we provide the result of measuring the noise level or any other study on official state protocols, which is valid in courts, and to confirm compliance with the norms for the sanitation station.

Of course, in addition to this, you can order many other studies, after which you receive not only the conclusion and protocol, but also the recommendations of EcoTestExpress experts. They will help reduce the noise level, as well as preserve the health of you and your employees at the enterprise, or the health of your family and friends when examining the noise level in a residential area.