Sound or Noise Measurement

We are subjected to lots of sound in our daily life from sound within our home or work place such as music from our radio, a television set, a tape or disk players, sound from our daily conversation, a washing machine and other electrical equipment but there exist a background sound which maybe sound from our air conditioners, ceiling fan, a water boilers and even from all the lighting.

Sound from outside our homes or place of work are possibly insects sound from the garden, sound from birds and bees or even a cat or a dog. Sound from an old news paper collector or an ice cream seller but in many cases now continuous traffic sound are becoming noise which are unwanted sound. If nothing is done to reduce these noise it affects us and may lead to partial deafness.

Acceptance and tolerance of sound or noise are different for different people and the accepted sound or noise measurement are in dB A or "A" weighing sound measurement. The noise measurement are then summarized as follows:

Threshold of pain                           - 140 dB
A Jet aircraft at 300 m                   -   90 dB
Highway traffic noise at 30 m       -   75 dB
A quiet restaurant                           -   50 dB
Residential area during the night   -   40 dB
Threshold of hearing                      -      0 dB