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Which unit is used to measure the loudness of sound?
A. Hertz
B. Decibel
C. Watt
D. Ampere
Correct Answer Is Option = Decibel
Notes / Explanation
The unit that is used to measure the loudness of sound is the decibel, and it is an important concept in the study of sound and in many practical situations relating to noise and hearing. Sound is a form of energy that travels in the form of waves, and one of the properties of a sound is its loudness, which is how strong or intense the sound seems to be to the listener, ranging from very faint sounds that can barely be heard to very loud sounds that can be uncomfortable or even harmful. The loudness of a sound is measured using the unit called the decibel, which provides a way of expressing how loud a sound is in numbers, so that different sounds can be compared and so that acceptable and dangerous levels of sound can be defined. On the scale of decibels, very quiet sounds have low values, ordinary everyday sounds such as conversation have moderate values, and very loud sounds such as heavy traffic, loud machinery or the noise of an aircraft have high values. An important feature of the decibel scale is that it does not increase in a simple straightforward way, but is arranged so that each step up the scale represents a large increase in the actual intensity of the sound, which means that a sound that is a certain number of decibels higher than another is very much more intense, not just a little more intense. The measurement of sound in decibels is important for the protection of hearing, because exposure to sounds that are too loud, especially for long periods, can damage the hearing and cause loss of hearing over time, and there are limits and guidelines expressed in decibels for safe levels of noise in workplaces and other environments. The measurement of noise is also important in controlling noise pollution, which is the unwanted and excessive noise that can affect health and quality of life. The study of sound, its properties and its measurement is an important part of the science of physics. For PPSC and other competitive examinations, the key points to remember are that the unit used to measure the loudness of sound is the decibel, that loudness is the intensity or strength of a sound, that the decibel scale is arranged so that each step represents a large increase in intensity, and that the measurement of sound in decibels is important for protecting hearing and controlling noise pollution.
