What is a DB?

[RangerWalker71]

Here is a good article on DB's. How they work and are measured. Hope this helps with DB.

The decibel (abbreviated dB) is the unit used to measure the intensity of a sound. The decibel scale is a little odd because the human ear is incredibly sensitive. Your ears can hear everything from your fingertip brushing lightly over your skin to a loud jet engine. In terms of power, the sound of the jet engine is about 1,000,000,000,000 times more powerful than the smallest audible sound. That's a big difference!
On the decibel scale, the smallest audible sound (near total silence) is 0 dB. A sound 10 times more powerful is 10 dB. A sound 100 times more powerful than near total silence is 20 dB. A sound 1,000 times more powerful than near total silence is 30 dB. Here are some common sounds and their decibel ratings:

• Near total silence - 0 dB
• A whisper - 15 dB
• Normal conversation - 60 dB
• A lawnmower - 90 dB
• A car horn - 110 dB
• A rock concert or a jet engine - 120 dB
• A gunshot unsuppressed 140-170dB
• Suppressed 308 22" 128-135 db

You know from your own experience that distance affects the intensity of sound -- if you are far away, the power is greatly diminished. All of the ratings above are taken while standing near the sound.
Any sound above 85 dB can cause hearing loss, and the loss is related both to the power of the sound as well as the length of exposure. You know that you are listening to an 85-dB sound if you have to raise your voice to be heard by somebody else. Eight hours of 90-dB sound can cause damage to your ears; any exposure to 140-dB sound causes immediate damage (and causes actual pain).



What is a decibel, and how is it measured? | HowStuffWorks link article.

 

[tinkerer]

Technically accurate, but not totally correct.

We humans hear by a measurement of dB, but on a scale called the A Slow scale as we do not hear all frequencies equal.

From maybe 20-30 hertz (Cycles per second) to about 2000, we hear OK. These are bass, and we feel them more than hear them.

Common speech is from 2000 to about 8000 hz. We are fairly effective in this range.

Higher frequencies, 8000-20000 or so in a healthy younger person, tend to be either irritating or down right painful in higher levels.

So our response charted in hz vs db sensitivity tends to be kinda large J shaped.

These are true if you're a young adult and have not damaged your hearing already (loud sound, concerts, earbuds, etc, etc). As we age, the response tends to eat up the edges first, finally encroaching upon that 2K-8K range.

So, wear your hearing protection when shooting and hunting, exercise caution at loud events (going to the race track next week, taking the ear plugs with me), and it should last your lifetime.

Larry
Lifetime Safety Professional

 

[FEENIX]

Here is a good article on DB's. How they work and are measured. Hope this helps with DB.

The decibel (abbreviated dB) is the unit used to measure the intensity of a sound. The decibel scale is a little odd because the human ear is incredibly sensitive. Your ears can hear everything from your fingertip brushing lightly over your skin to a loud jet engine. In terms of power, the sound of the jet engine is about 1,000,000,000,000 times more powerful than the smallest audible sound. That's a big difference!
On the decibel scale, the smallest audible sound (near total silence) is 0 dB. A sound 10 times more powerful is 10 dB. A sound 100 times more powerful than near total silence is 20 dB. A sound 1,000 times more powerful than near total silence is 30 dB. Here are some common sounds and their decibel ratings:

• Near total silence - 0 dB
• A whisper - 15 dB
• Normal conversation - 60 dB
• A lawnmower - 90 dB
• A car horn - 110 dB
• A rock concert or a jet engine - 120 dB
• A gunshot unsuppressed 140-170dB
• Suppressed 308 22" 128-135 db

You know from your own experience that distance affects the intensity of sound -- if you are far away, the power is greatly diminished. All of the ratings above are taken while standing near the sound.
Any sound above 85 dB can cause hearing loss, and the loss is related both to the power of the sound as well as the length of exposure. You know that you are listening to an 85-dB sound if you have to raise your voice to be heard by somebody else. Eight hours of 90-dB sound can cause damage to your ears; any exposure to 140-dB sound causes immediate damage (and causes actual pain).



What is a decibel, and how is it measured? | HowStuffWorks link article.

I agree! I spent my 1st 10 years in USAF in the flightline working F-4s and A-10s where proper use of PPEs are required and a must.

When I transitioned from F-4 to A-10, my hearing improved significantly and even better when I finally left the flightline.

I retired in 2007 and nowadays, my hearing is near my pre-flightline days. As a good habit/practice, I wear proper PPEs when mowing or using power tools, and of course during range time.

Ed