Measuring Sound Levels: A Guide to Decibels (dB) and DBA

Ever been to a rock concert and had your ears ring for days? Ever woken up to a team of lawn mowers right outside your window with no plans of quieting down? Have you ever wondered exactly how loud these noises are, or how to measure these in decibels or DBAs? If you have, then keep reading.

Things You'll Need

• Standard sound level meter
• Batteries

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Instructions

• 1

  Put in the batteries.

  Place batteries in the sound level meter and turn it on.

• 2

  Position it close to your ears.

  Position the sound meter within your hearing zone. According to the Occupational Safety &Health Administration, the hearing zone is defined as a sphere with a two-foot diameter surrounding the head of an individual. Keep the device as close to the ears as possible for the greatest accuracy.

• 3

  Find noises to measure.

  Find or make noises to take readings of.

• 4

  Measure the noises according to instructions.

  Measure the noises according to the instructions that came with your sound level meter.