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Understanding Decibels: History and Applications

Decibels are a measurement unit used for sound levels, but also pressure and energy levels. The decibel represents a ratio between two measurements on a logarithmic scale. Alexander Graham Bell's name inspired the term "decibel" with its capital B. At a conference in 1937, the decibel became the official unit for measuring sound pressure, energy, and other levels. Careers working with decibels include electrical engineering, where engineers might calculate decibel levels of electricity in circuits and devices.

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32 views2 pages

Understanding Decibels: History and Applications

Decibels are a measurement unit used for sound levels, but also pressure and energy levels. The decibel represents a ratio between two measurements on a logarithmic scale. Alexander Graham Bell's name inspired the term "decibel" with its capital B. At a conference in 1937, the decibel became the official unit for measuring sound pressure, energy, and other levels. Careers working with decibels include electrical engineering, where engineers might calculate decibel levels of electricity in circuits and devices.

Uploaded by

auskymoe
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Works Cited

decibel. n.d. 29 November 2015


<[Link]
tm>.

Sivak, Cathy. An Interview with Craig


Janus, Electrical Engineer. n.d.
29
November
2015
<[Link]
resources/an-interview-withcraig-janus-electrical-engineer>.

Really Cool
Decibels and
Logarithms!!!

By Jesse Huang

Susan Brooks and Bill Byles. Sound Decibel


Levels.
n.d.
29
November
2015
<[Link]
[Link]/sound_decibel.htm>.

UNSW School of Physics. dB: What is


a decibel? n.d. 29 November
2015
<[Link]
[Link]/jw/[Link]#definiti
on>.

Brief history of the


Decibel

How to find decibels

Career
relating
decibels

Relevant graphics!

to

Decibels

Decibels arent just


for sound
Decibels have been
known commonly as the unit
for sound. Its true, but
decibels are also used for
measuring pressure and
energy levels. The decibel
itself does not mean anything
but a ratio between two
values of the same unit. The
units include the measured
unit such as the noise from a
plane and the constant unit
such as the threshold of
hearing (least audible sound).
The two are then plugged into
the equation:

B is the resulting
number in decibels and unit
(such as dBV for voltage, dBA
for sound using the A scale).
The Is represent the
intensities of the two sounds,

History
The name decibel was
named after Alexander
Graham Bell; its why the unit
has a capital B (Bel). It
became the official
international unit of scales of
energy and pressure levels at
the First International
Acoustical Conference in Paris
July 1937. The deci in
decibel represents the unit
being based on a power ratio
of 10^0.1(every increase by
ten in dB is 10 TIMES more
voltage/sound than the
previous value).

Career

A career working with


decibels includes being an
electrical
engineer.
Image from article about
interviewing
Craig Janus, an
Experienced
electrical
electrical Engineer
engineers can earn about
$100,000 dollars a year and
up to $120,000 and more.
They work with a large variety
of electrical equipment and
devices, testing, repairing,
and using them. At times they
calculate dBV to know the
amount of electricity needed
for a signal to be received in a
circuit board or through cords.

The calculation of a
decibel from two
measurements finds the ratio
between two intensities,
powers, or voltages and takes
the log of it. The log of the ratio
shows a tenth of the decibels. It
is then multiplied by ten in the
equation to give the number of
decibels. To find how many
times a decibel is stronger than
another, subtract for difference
and plug into 10^(0.1*d).

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