This scale is a convenient tool because it can represent very large or small values in a manageable format.įor instance, our human ears can perceive sounds that range over twelve orders of magnitude in pressure changes – a task daunting to comprehend if we didn’t have the decibel scale. The decibel scale is a logarithmic scale used to quantify the intensity of a sound or the power level of an electrical signal by comparing it to a given level on a logarithmic scale. In the case of decibels, the logarithmic scale allows us to represent the vast range of human hearing, from the quietest whisper to the roar of a jet engine, in a compact and manageable way. This type of scale is extremely useful when the values to be plotted cover a large range. Unlike the linear scale, where equal distances reflect equal changes in quantity, a logarithmic scale shows that equal distances reflect equal ratios of change rather than equal differences in quantities. What Is A Logarithmic Scale?īefore answering what the decibel scale is, it is important to understand what a logarithmic scale is.Ī logarithmic scale, often just referred to as a log scale, is a way of displaying numerical data over a very wide range of values in a compact way.

In the realm of sound, this reference level is typically the standard threshold of hearing for the average human ear, often denoted as 0 dB. Being a relative unit of measure, decibels compare the level of an observed quantity to a reference level. The prefix ‘deci-‘ denotes a tenth part, making a decibel one-tenth of a bel. The term ‘decibel’ is derived from ‘bel,’ named in honour of Alexander Graham Bell, a prominent inventor and scientist known for his work in telecommunication. Decibels, often abbreviated as dB, are a logarithmic unit of measurement used to express the ratio of two values of a physical quantity, most commonly in acoustics for sound.

Negative decibel scale