How is the volume of sound (and noise) measured?

Many factors affect how loud a sound is, including its length, frequency, and the environment in which you hear it. Another important and easily measured factor is sound intensity or loudness.

Noise is measured in decibels

Sound volume (also referred to as sound intensity or acoustic power) is given in units - the so-called decibels. Decibels (dB) are named after Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone and audiometer. An audiometer is a device that measures how well a person can hear, and its modern version is still used today.

The sound meter uses a display with a decibel range and resolution to approximate the dynamic range of the ear. The decibel scale is logarithmic. This means that on the decibel scale, the quietest audible sound (close to total silence) is 0 dB. 10 times stronger sound is 10 dB. A sound a hundred times louder than almost complete silence is 20 dB. A sound 1000 times more powerful than almost complete silence is 30 dB, etc.

Because the scale is logarithmic , a small increase in the decibel scale corresponds to a large increase in sound intensity. This is very important for understanding the meaning of noise measurements.

For example, if the sound level increases by 10 dB, then the intensity of the sound increases ten times. If there is an increase of "only" 3dB at 80dB, it actually means a multiplication of the intensity and can cause hearing damage.

When should you consider indoor noise measurement?

• The noise is louder than busy city traffic.
• People have to raise their voice to speak to someone within one meter.
• People tend to turn up the volume of their radio or television after a while.
• You hear ringing or humming when you leave the room.

You can also measure the noise in the room using a smartphone app. Sound is professionally measured using an integrated sound meter or noise dosimeter. We offer you accredited noise measurement within the whole of US.

We focus on noise, building acoustics or acoustic studies of your projects. We will measure the current noise level for you, from which we will obtain noise values ​​for determining the optimal solution for acoustic sound insulation in the interior of buildings.