Understanding Decibels: A Guide to Loudness Measurement

Decibel (dB) is a unit of measurement used to express the loudness of a sound. It is defined as the logarithm of the ratio of the intensity of the sound to a reference intensity. In other words, it measures how much louder or quieter a sound is compared to a standard reference level.
The decibel scale is a logarithmic scale, which means that each increase of 1 dB represents a significant increase in loudness, while an increase of 2 dB represents a much larger increase in loudness. For example, a sound that is 10 dB louder than a reference sound is not twice as loud, but rather 10 times as loud.
Decibels are commonly used to measure the sound levels of various sources, such as music, machinery, and environmental noise. They are also used to set safety standards for exposure to loud sounds, such as those above 85 dB, which can cause hearing damage over time.