Notre Dame University (Louaize)

Faculty of Engineering
Department of Mechanical Engineering

MEN 376
Thermo/Fluid Laboratory
Fall 2015

Sound Measurement

Group number: 2

Prepared by:
Micheline Saad ID: 20137186

Submitted to:
Wissam Daou

Date of experiment:
Friday, October 9, 2015

Date of submission:
Friday, October 16, 2015
Abstract

Since human beings are always subjected to different sounds wherever they are, it is necessary to
determine sound level in order to ensure humans safety, and consequently determine a
maximum exposure time to high leveled sounds. In this context, a calibrated Lutron Digital
sound meter SL 4011, an instrument to measure sound levels, was used by a group of students to
measure sound levels in different locations in Notre Dame University Louaize (Zouk Mosbeh).
Then, a general overview on the sound waves and their properties is discussed. 2 tables in
addition to a number of equations are shown and specially that of the sound level. After that, the
experimentally measured sound levels are put into a table and compared with their corresponding
theoretical values. At the end, the percentage of error is calculated, its related possible causes are
stated and a conclusion is drawn.

Table of Contents
2

Abstract........................................................................................................................................ii
Introduction..................................................................................................................................1
Apparatus and Procedure.............................................................................................................3
Theoretical analysis.....................................................................................................................4
Results..........................................................................................................................................7
Discussion and conclusion...........................................................................................................9

Introduction
Problem:
If a sound reaches 85 dB or more, it can cause permanent damage to human hearing. The amount
of time a person listens to a sound is also important. A human being would have to listen to an 85
dB sound for over 8 hours to cause hearing damage, but sounds measuring 120 dB can instantly
cause damage. Automobiles, motorcycles, aircraft, ships, trucks, buses, jet planes, construction
equipmoutent, electrical machinery, lawn mowers and leaf blowers are all source of sounds or
more accurately noise that may or may not cause health problems to humans according to the
level of sound and the time of exposure. Since human health has become one of the ruling factors
in many designs, it is important to be able to get quantitative information about sound level in
different locations and applications. According to the sound levels measured, precautions should
be taken to ensure human safety.
Purpose:
After stating the problem, the main purpose of this experiment is to introduce students (future
engineers) to the techniques of sound measurements, be able to measure sound levels, understand
the units and get familiar with the acceptable levels of noise. This aim is accomplished by using
Lutron Digital sound meter SL 4011 to measure sound levels in different locations inside Notre
Dame University - Louaize (Zouk Mosbeh) and compare them with the theoretical values.
Outline:
From now on, this report will be divided in the following way:
1

Apparatus and procedure: The instrument used to measure the sound levels is Lutron
Digital sound meter SL 4011. A brief description of the experimental procedure will be

included.
Theoretical analysis: a brief overview on the different physical characteristics of sound
waves is included. The intensity I of sound is discussed in details (equations are
provided) in order to reach the main topic of this report: sound level. The equation of
sound level is stated and respectively two tables about some common level sounds and

permissible time exposure are shown.

Results: the experimental sound level measured are shown in a table and a graph with a

brief following analysis.

Discussion and conclusion: theoretical and experimental sound levels for different
locations are arranged in table with the corresponding percentage of error. A discussion of
some causes of errors is available followed by a general conclusion.

Apparatus and Procedure

2

Apparatus:

Figure 1: Lutron Digital sound meter SL 4011

This

instrument is used to measure the sound level at

different locations.

Procedure:
1. Turn the device on.
2. Adjust the calibration of the device and select A weighting.
3. Perform the measurements and record the values for the sound level in different locations
in Notre Dame University Zouk Mosbeh (library, cafeteria, parking).

Theoretical analysis

Mechanical waves are waves that require a material medium to exist. They are of two types:
Transverse waves and longitudinal waves. Sound wave is a mechanical wave that is roughly
defined as any longitudinal wave.
The speed of traveling sound waves, pressure amplitude, and displacement amplitude are some
of the main physical characteristics of sound waves.
Another characteristic is the intensity I. It is defined as the average rate per unit area at which
energy is transferred by the wave through or onto a surface. This can be written as:

I=

P
A

(eq. 1)

where P is the time rate of energy transfer (power) of the sound wave and A is the area of the
surface intercepting the sound.
The intensity I is also related to the displacement amplitude s m of the sound wave by:
1
I = v 2 s2m
2

(eq. 2)

The displacement amplitude at the human ear ranges from about 10-5 m for the loudest tolerable
sound to about 10-11 m for the faintest detectable sound. Relying on the previous equation, it can
be seen that the intensity of a sound varies as the square of its amplitude, so the ratio of
intensities at these two limits of the human auditory system is 1012. Hence, humans can hear over
an enormous range of intensities, and it is easier to use logarithm in such situation. Thus, instead

of speaking of the intensity I of a sound wave, it is much more convenient to speak of its sound
level

, defined as:

=( 10 dB ) log

I
I0 .

(eq. 3)

Here dB is the abbreviation of decibel which is the unit of sound level, I0 is a standard reference
intensity (= 10-12 W/m2) chosen because it is near the lower limit of the human range of hearing.
Some common sound levels in decibels are shown in the following table:

Home
50 refrigerator
50 75 air conditioner
55 coffee percolator
55 75 dishwasher
65 80 alarm clock
75 85 flush toilet
80 ringing telephone

Work
40 quiet office, library
50 large office
95 electric drill
100 factory machinery
120 chain saw, hammer

on nail
110 power saw

Recreation
70 freeway traffic
85 heavy traffic, noisy

restaurant
90 truck, shouted

conversation
110 car horn
112 personal cassette
player on high

It should be
Table 1: Some sound levels (dB)

also noted
that
according to
the National

Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) for every 3 dB sound level over 8er dB, the permissible exposure time is cut
in half before damage to human hearing can occur. The following table represents the preceding
information.

Sound level (dB)

115
112

Permissible exposure time

0.46875 minutes (

30 seconds)

0.9375minutes (

1 min)

109

1.875 minutes (< 2 min)

106

3.75 minutes (< 4 min)

103

7.5 minutes

100

15 minutes

97

30 minutes

94

1 hour

91

2 hours

88

4 hours

85

8 hours

82
16 hours
Table 2: Recommended permissible exposure time for continuous time weighted average noise

Results
Table 2 shows some sound levels measured experimentally in different locations inside the
university: from the laboratory through the library and the cafeteria to the inside of an under
ongoing construction building, and finally to the parking.
Location

Sound level (dB)

Large library

58.7

Quiet office

51.4

Air conditioner

61.7

Ringing telephone

82.4

Dish washer

81.6

Coffee percolator

78.1

refrigerator

68.2

Noisy restaurant

83.4

Alarm clock

74.4
7

traffic

74.5

Personal cassette player on high

102.3

Car horn

94.9

Flush toilet

81.3

Electric drill

100.1

Shouted conversation

83

Power saw

107.5

Hammer on nail

93.5

The previous
data shown

Table 3: Some experimentally measured sound levels (dB)

in Table 3 is
represented
in Graph 1
for the ease of reading and comparing the collected values.

Graph 1: Some sound levels measured experimentally in different locations

107.5
102.3

100.1
94.9

82.4 81.6

83.4
78.1

93.5
81.3

83

74.4 74.5
68.2

61.7

58.7
51.4

The measured sound levels varies from a minimum value of 51.4 dB in a quiet office to a
maximum value of 107.5 dB for a power saw. Most of the measured levels are less than 85 dB
(the minimum value at which hearing damage may occur). Playing music on high and standing in
a workplace may cause some hearing damage (sound level higher than 85 dB).

Discussion and Conclusion

10

In order to get a general idea about the results and the theoretical values, experimentally
measured sound levels with their theoretical values are all shown in the graph below.
120
112 110

110
107.5

102.3

100.1
95

94.9

75

85
80 82.4
80 81.6 78.1

75

85
83.4
68.2

61.7

58.7
50 51.4

50

55

55

74.4 74.5
70
65

81.3
75

90
83

93.5

50

40
Experimental SL

Theoretical SL

Theoretical SL

Graph 2: Experimentally measured sound levels with their corresponding theoretical values

By examining Graph 2, one can notice that the experimental and theoretical sound levels are
approximately close.

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The experimental sound levels of the alarm clock, dish washer, and air conditioner fall exactly in
their corresponding theoretical range. Except for the hammer on nail, the refrigerator, and the
coffee percolator, the other sound levels are close to the theoretical values.

Location

Experimental Sound

Theoretical Sound

% Error

Large library

58.7
level
(dB)

17.4%

Quiet office

51.4

50(dB)
Level
40

Air conditioner

61.7

50 75

1.28%

Ringing telephone

82.4

80

3%

Dish washer

81.6

55 75

8.8%

Coffee percolator

78.1

55

42%

refrigerator

68.2

50

36.4%

Noisy restaurant

83.4

85

1.88%

Alarm clock

74.4

65 80

2.6%

traffic
Personal cassette player

74.5

70

6.4%

102.3

112

8.6%

Car
horn
on high

94.9

110

13.7%

Flush toilet

81.3

75 85

1.6%

Electric drill

100.1

95

5.36%

Shouted conversation

83

90

7.7%

Power saw

107.5

110

2.27%

Hammer on nail

93.5

120

22%

Average % Error

28.5%

12.3%

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By checking
Table 4: Percentage of error for every location

Table4, the
percentage of
error is
found to be

different: some places it is small while in other places it is high.

To find the percentage of error for each location, the following equation has been used:

%Error=

|experimental valueaccepted value|

accepted value

100

(eq. 4)

The % error is high (>15%) for the library, office, coffee percolator, refrigerator, and hammer on
nail.
However the average % error is 12.3 %. It is slightly high but most of the results are accurate and
precise.
For the locations with high % error, this is due to the following reasons:

The coffee percolator and the refrigerator are located in the university cafeteria. The error

in the sound level was caused by the noise of the students.

The library and the office both include air conditioners. Another cause of error in the

library is the talk of the students.

The force exerted on the nail by the hammer was not sufficient to match the theoretical
sound level.

As a conclusion, it is of high importance to be able to measure the sound levels in different

locations and applications. One relevant reason is ensuring human safety. In general, noisy work
13

place have high level sounds and people should reduce their exposure time to such sounds. All
other locations are good enough to be available at. Overall, the experiment was well conducted,
the results are generally accurate and acceptable and moreover, the percentage of error is
tolerable. One addition thing to mention is by checking the results, one can conclude that Notre
Dame University Louaize is a good and safe place to be at, in genral.

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