Multiple choice

Consider the following facts about sound pollution:

  1. It is not the intensity, but the pitch of the sound which is of importance when measuring noise.
  2. A noise source measuring 70 decibels is 100 times as loud as a source measuring 50 decibels.

Which of the above is/are true?

  1. Only 1

  2. Only 2

  3. Both 1 and 2

  4. Neither 1 nor 2
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Although the frequency (pitch) of noise may be of major importance, most noise sources are measured in terms of intensity or strength of the sound field. The standard unit, one decibel (dB), is the amount of sound that is just audible to the average human. The decibel scale is somewhat misleading because it is logarithmic rather than linear. For example, a noise source measuring 70 dB is 10 times as loud as a source measuring 60 dB and 100 times as loud as a source reading 50 dB.

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