This does not mean total silence, though. Scientists have determined that 0 dB is the lowest sound perceived by the human ear. In fact, being exposed to sound levels that exceed 80 dB over a longer period of time can cause hearing damage and anything over 120 dB will cause immediate hearing damage. But, some levels of sounds can be harmful. What Is 0 dB?Īs we’ve already mentioned, the human ear can perceive a very wide range of sounds. The class 1 meters are used for precision measurements, usually in laboratory settings. Class 2 meters are good for measuring sound levels in basic environments like industrial, commercial, or residential ones. Sound level meters come in various types and accuracy classes. Of course, they can also be used for fun to measure the difference in decibels between common sounds like a balloon popping and a person whispering.
![decibel scale zero decibel scale zero](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/KE57P7/the-decibel-scale-sound-level-KE57P7.jpg)
They can be used for sound mixing purposes and for choosing the best audio setup for your home. They are commonly used to monitor noise pollution in industrial and environmental settings. It is a measuring instrument that can determine the level of surrounding sounds by measuring the pressure of sound.Ī sound level meter can help you measure levels of noise to limit or prevent your exposure to harmful noise levels. To measure sounds and dB levels, you can use a sound level meter. What Is a Sound Level Meter and How Does It Work? Just think how miraculous it is that you can hear a leaf falling just as well as you can hear a baby crying, an ambulance siren, or the guitar solo at a really loud concert. The ear’s built-in mechanism works to moderate sensitivity to sounds as they become higher and louder so that it can tolerate and hear a very wide range of sound levels.
![decibel scale zero decibel scale zero](https://www.apogeeweb.net/upload/image/20201104/2020110411503558.jpg)
![decibel scale zero decibel scale zero](https://img.freepik.com/free-vector/decibel-scale-sound-levels_1308-104555.jpg)
This scale is very wide because the human ear can perceive so many varieties of sounds. Different levels of sound are recorded on a logarithmic scale called the decibel scale. The intensity of sound is measured in units called decibels (dB). So, before we go into how quiet a quiet room really is, let’s understand how sound is measured. In this article, we are going to explore all these questions and find out what a decibel is, how it is measured, and what reading you can expect to get from a sound level meter in a quiet room. Is the sound level meter inaccurate? How low is a 0 dB sound anyway? And is getting a zero dB reading on a sound level meter actually possible? You expect a 0 dB reading, but you don’t get one.