Sound Pressure

A way to measure how loud something is. Measured in Pascals.

Decibel (dB)
Translated from Pascals into something more

understandable. 1 Decibel is roughly an audible change in volume to the human ear.

Gain
The amount that an amplifier increases the volume

(or voltage) of an instrument; measured in dB.

Decibels

Gain

Summing from multiple sources

Source of sound Rock Concert

Sound pressure (Pascals) 632 Pa

Decibels 150 dB

Jet engine at 30 m
Threshold of pain

632 Pa
63.2 Pa

150 dB
130 dB 120 dB 100 dB 80 90 dB 60 80 dB 60 dB 40 60 dB 20 30 dB 10 dB 0 dB

Hearing damage (possible) 20 Pa Jack hammer at 1 m Major road at 10 m Passenger car at 10 m Home TV set at 1 m Normal talking at 1 m Very calm room Leaves rustling, calm breathing 2 Pa 210^(1) 6.3210^(1) Pa 210^(2) 210^(1) Pa 210^(2) Pa 210^(3) 210^(2) Pa 210^(4) 6.3210^(4) Pa 6.3210^(5) Pa

Auditory threshold at 1 kHz 210^(5) Pa

Convert Pascals to Decibels

If one person is talking at 60 dB

and another person is talking at 40 dB, how many times greater is the sound pressure of the first persons voice than the second?

Adding inside the Logarithm

Adding instruments/sources

Multiply inside the Logarithm

Using an amplifier