Decibel Ratings

Topics:

• What is the difference between decibels?
• How much quieter is a lower decibel rating?

Answer:

Decibels measure the volume of a sound similarly to how degrees measure the heat of an object. For every increase of 10 decibels, the human ear perceives a sound as twice as loud.

• For example, a 50 decibel sound seems twice as loud as a 40 decibel sound.
• For most people, a change of at least 3 decibels is necessary to notice a difference in volume. Most people can tell that a 43 decibel sound is louder than a 40 decibel sound, but would not notice a difference between 40 and 41 decibels.

In practical terms, most people are concerned about this perceived difference in volume as decibels increase.

• Read more about decibels on the Industrial Noise Control website, which includes common decibel levels of different sounds or noise environments.

See also, Cove Dishwasher Decibel Ratings.