In everyday application of acoustics, the ratio scale is used.

But since the intensity ratio of the loudest tolerable sound is just audible sound is of 1014, the ratio scale is too unwidely. In order to avoid such cumbersome number, the ratio scale gas been changed to interval scales by logarithm.

A decibel(dB) is defines as logarithm, dimensionless unit of express the ratio of 2 values. (By Hodgson) The word Decibel is comes from the word Bel, named for Alexander Graham bell, the unit of measurement of intensity used in acoustics. Decibel is 1/10th of Bel.

It It It It It

involves a logarithm. involves a ratio. is non-linear. is expressed in terms of various reference levels. is a relative unit of measure.

Power Power is the rate at which work is done. Power=W/t [W=Work, t=Time] Unit-Watt

Pressure Pressure is defined as the force exerted per unit area. Pressure=F/A [F=Force, A=Area] Unit-N/m2

Acoustic Intensity The acoustic is defined as the sound power per unit area. Intensity=P/A [P=Power, A=Area] Unit-watt/m2 Force Force is any influence that causes a free body to undergo an acceleration. Force=ma [m=Mass, a= Acceleration] Unit-Newton

A logarithm is simply a number expressed as an exponent that tells how often another number is multiplied by itself. e.g. In the expression x=by, If it will to be expressed is terms of logarithm, then it will be, y=logb (x) The exponent is the power, which tells us how many times the base will be used in multiplication. In logarithm, may bases can be used but in acoustic the base 10 is mostly used. The logarithm is useful in expressing a ration between two numbers.

log(xy)=log x+log y
log(x/y)=log x log y log ab=b log a

log 1/a=-log a

Log Input Log 1 Log 2 Log 3 Log 4 Log 5 Log 6 Log 7 Log 8 Log 9 Log 10 Log 11 Log 101 Log 1001 Log 10001 Log 100001

Values 0.000 0.301 0.477 0.602 0.698 0.778 0.845 0.903 0.954 1.000 1.041 2.004 3.000 4.000 5.000

dB Intensity Level:(dBIL)

The intensity level of a sound in db is equal to time the common log of ratio of the output intensity to the reference intensity. dBIL=10 logI0/Ir [I0=Intensity output, Ir=Reference value] *Reference value of intensity in SI units=10-12 w/m2 . e.g.- If I0=10-6 w/m2, then dBIL=10 log 10-6/10-12 =60dBIL - If I0=10-12 w/m2, then dBIL=10 log 10-12/10-12 =0dBIL

Intensity Output-I0(watt/m2) 10-12 10-11 10-10 10-9 10-8 10-7 10-6 10-5 10-4

dBIL 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

10-3
10-2 10-1 100 101

90
100 110 120 130

**Here 0dBIL doesnt mean that absence of sound. i.e. I0=Ir

If two speaker producing a sound of XdBIL each, then the out put should be X+3dBIL instead of 2XdBIL.

Prove: Suppose a sources of 40dBIL is coming from both the 2 sources, then they should have the acoustic intensity of I0=10-8watt/m2 each, then the total acoustic intensity would be 2I0. Now question arises that, what would be the intensity level of a sound whose acoustic intensity is 2I0.

Calculation:
I0=2I0=2 x 10-8watt/m2 Ir=10-12 watt/m2. Total dBIL =10 log(I0/Ir) =10 log(2I0/Ir)

=10 log(2 x 10-8watt/m2/10-12watt/m2) =10 log(2 x 104) =10 log 2 + 10 log 104 =10 x 0.301 + 10 x 4 x1 =3.01 + 40 = 43.01dBIL

Example : What would be the intensity level of two sounds of 60dBIL & 80dBIL? Solution: 1st case: 60dBIL; Ii=10-6watt/m2 2nd case: 80dbIL; Iii=10-4watt/m2 I0=Ii + Iii=10-6watt/m2 + 10-4watt/m2 Total dBIL =10 log(I0/Ir) =10 log{10-4(10-2+1)/10-12} =10 log{108(101/102)} =10 log{106(101)} =10 log 106 + 10 log 101 =10 x 6 x 1 + 10 x 2.004 =60 + 20.04 =80.04dBIL

=10 log(10-6watt/m2 + 10-4watt/m2/10-12watt/m2)

dBSound Pressure Level:(dBSPL)

Sound Pressure is local pressure deviation from the ambient atmospheric pressure caused by a sound. SPL is a logarithm measure of the effective sound pressure of relative to a reference value. dBSPL=20 log(P0/Pr) [P0=Intensity output, Pr=Reference value] *Reference value=20 Pa.
e.g.- If P0=2 x 104 Pa, then dBSPL =20 log(P0/Pr) =20 log(2 x 104/20) =20 log(103) =60dBSPL - If P0=2 x 10 Pa, then dBSPL = 20 log(P0/Pr) =20 log(2 x 10/20) =20 log(1) =00dBSPL

Pressure Outputs-P0(Pa)
2 x 101 2 x 102 2 x 103 2 x 104 2 x 105 2 x 106 2 x 107

dBSPL
0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Conversion of Sound Pressure to Sound Pressure Level.

http://personal.cityu.edu.hk/~bsapplec/sound.htm

**Here 0dBSPL doesnt mean that absence of sound. i.e. P0=Pr. *Thats why we can here at 0dBSPL.
If two sources producing a sound of XdBSPL each, then the out put should be X+6dBSPL instead of 2XdBSPL.

Prove: Suppose a sound of 40dBSPL is coming from both the 2 sources, then they should have the acoustic Pressure of Pi=2 x103 Pa each, then the total acoustic intensity would be 2Pi. Now question arises that, what would be the intensity level of a sound whose acoustic pressure is 2Pi.

Calculation: Pi=2Pi=2 x 2 x103 Pa Pr=20 Pa. Total dBIL =20 log(P0/Pr) =20 log(2Pi/Pr)

=20 log(2 x 2 x103 Pa/20 Pa) =20 log(2 x 102) =20 log 2 + 20 log 102 =20 x 0.301 + 20 x 2 x1 =6.02 + 40 = 46.02dBSPL

Example : What would be the intensity level of two sounds of 60dBSPL & 80dBSPL? Solution: 1st case: 60dBSPL; Pi=2 x104 Pa 2nd case: 80dBSPL; Pii=2 x105 Pa P0=Pi + Pii=2 x104 Pa + 2 x105 Pa Total dBSPL =20 log(I0/Ir) =20 log(2 x104 Pa + 2 x105 Pa/20 Pa) =20 log{2 x104(1+10)/20} =20 log{2 x104(11)/20)} =20 log{103(11)} =20 log 103 + 20 log 11 =20 x 3 x 1 + 20 x 1.04 =60 + 20.8 =80.8dBSPL

Hearing Level: The decibel level of sound referenced to audiometric zero, which is used on audiograms and audiometers. Sensation Level: The decibel level of sound in dB above an individuals threshold. e.g. If a person has a threshold of 0dBHL at 1kHz & a 30dBSPL tone is presented, then it could say tat the tone was 30dBSL

We know dBIL =10 log I0/Ir dBSPL =20 log p0/pr Here 2 : 1 ratio doesnt mean that a certain sound of 60dBIL has the value of 120dBSPL. Because I = P2 ; P = I1/2 e.g. If I0/Ir=104 P0/Pr=(104)1/2=102 dBIL= 10 log 104=40dBIL dBSPL= 20 log102=40dbSPL => ndBIL=ndBSPL