Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 25K views

    Decibel Level Comparison Chart

    Uploaded by

    Dang-dang Siggaoat-Copiaco
    This document compares decibel levels of common sounds. It shows that normal conversation is around 60-70 dB while sustained exposure over 90 dB can cause hearing loss. Very loud sounds like jet engines or gunshots are 140 dB or more and can damage hearing instantly. The document provides a useful reference for understanding sound levels in various everyday and occupational settings.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Decibel Level Comparison Chart

    Uploaded by

    Dang-dang Siggaoat-Copiaco
    25K views5 pages
    This document compares decibel levels of common sounds. It shows that normal conversation is around 60-70 dB while sustained exposure over 90 dB can cause hearing loss. Very loud sounds like jet engines or gunshots are 140 dB or more and can damage hearing instantly. The document provides a useful reference for understanding sound levels in various everyday and occupational settings.

    Copyright

    © Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)

    Available Formats

    DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    This document compares decibel levels of common sounds. It shows that normal conversation is around 60-70 dB while sustained exposure over 90 dB can cause hearing loss. Very loud sounds like jet engines or gunshots are 140 dB or more and can damage hearing instantly. The document provides a useful reference for understanding sound levels in various everyday and occupational settings.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as doc, pdf, or txt
    25K views5 pages

    Decibel Level Comparison Chart

    Uploaded by

    Dang-dang Siggaoat-Copiaco
    This document compares decibel levels of common sounds. It shows that normal conversation is around 60-70 dB while sustained exposure over 90 dB can cause hearing loss. Very loud sounds like jet engines or gunshots are 140 dB or more and can damage hearing instantly. The document provides a useful reference for understanding sound levels in various everyday and occupational settings.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as doc, pdf, or txt
    You are on page 1of 5
    At a glance
    Powered by AI
    The chart provides noise level comparisons for common sounds and environments and shows levels that may cause temporary or permanent hearing damage. Sustained exposure to sounds over 90dB may cause hearing loss.

    The chart indicates that sustained exposure to sounds over 90-95dB may result in hearing loss, and even short term exposure over 140dB can cause permanent damage.

    The chart lists examples of noise levels from sounds like conversation, traffic, and music performances ranging from a quiet recording studio to a rock concert.

    Decibel Level Comparison Chart

    Commercial Industrial Residential dB Level


    Threshold For Hearing 0
    Good Recording Studio Breathing 10
    Rustling Leaves 15
    Whisper, Mosquito 20
    Library Living / Dining Room 30
    Refrigerator Hum Kitchen / Bathroom 40
    Quiet Office Power Lawn Mower Home Office 50
    Birds at 10' 55
    Conversational Speech 60
    Piano Practice Electric Shaver 60
    Business Office Piano Practice 65
    Noisy Restaurant Inplant Office Street Traffic 70
    Chamber Music Barking Dog 75
    Classroom Alarm Clock 75
    Television / Dishwasher 75
    Airplane at 1 mile Manual Machines Vacuum Cleaner 80
    Reception / Lobby Area Handsaw Garbage Disposal 85
    Motor Bus Telephone Dial Tone 85
    Applause in Auditorium Lawn Mower 85
    OSHA Required Hearing Protection in Factory 85
    Teleconference Room Train at 100' 90
    Subway Farm Tractor Teenage Stereo 90
    Sustained Exposure May Cause Hearing Loss 90
    Music Practice Room Electric Drill Walkman at 5/10 94
    French Horn Average Factory Noise Blender 100
    Orchestra Diesel Truck Motorcycle 105
    Computer Room Printing Press Train 105
    Bass Drum Heavy Truck Power Saw 110
    Dog Kennel Power Mower Baby Crying 110
    Symphony Orchestra Punch Press Squeeky Toy to Ear 110
    Pain Begins 120
    Disco Sandblasting Shot Gun 120
    Cymbal Crash Pneumatic Clipper Air Raid Siren 130
    Dragcar Racing Military Jet Shotgun 140
    Rock Concert Aircraft Carrier Deck Jet Takeoff 140
    Chest Wall Begins to Vibrate 150
    Ear Drum Breaks Instantly 160
    Death of Hearing Tissue 180
    Loudest Possible Sound 194

    Decibel (Loudness) Comparison Chart


    Here are some interesting numbers, collected from a variety of sources, that help one to understand the
    volume levels of various sources and how they can affect our hearing.

    Environmental Noise
    Weakest sound heard 0dB
    Whisper Quiet Library 30dB
    Normal conversation (3-5') 60-70dB
    Telephone dial tone 80dB
    City Traffic (inside car) 85dB
    Train whistle at 500', Truck Traffic 90dB
    Subway train at 200' 95dB
    Level at which sustained exposure may result in
    90 - 95dB
    hearing loss
    Power mower at 3' 107dB
    Snowmobile, Motorcycle 100dB
    Power saw at 3' 110dB
    Sandblasting, Loud Rock Concert 115dB
    Pain begins 125dB
    Pneumatic riveter at 4' 125dB
    Even short term exposure can cause permanent
    damage - Loudest recommended exposure WITH 140dB
    hearing protection
    Jet engine at 100', Gun Blast 140dB
    Death of hearing tissue 180dB
    Loudest sound possible 194dB

    OSHA Daily Permissible Noise Level Exposure


    Hours per day Sound level
    8 90dB
    6 92dB
    4 95dB
    3 97dB
    2 100dB
    1.5 102dB
    1 105dB
    .5 110dB
    .25 or less 115dB

    Perceptions of Increases in Decibel Level


    Imperceptible Change 1dB
    Barely Perceptible Change 3dB
    Clearly Noticeable Change 5dB
    About Twice as Loud 10dB
    About Four Times as Loud 20dB

    Sound Levels of Music


    Normal piano practice 60 -70dB
    Fortissimo Singer, 3' 70dB
    Chamber music, small auditorium 75 - 85dB
    Piano Fortissimo 84 - 103dB
    Violin 82 - 92dB
    Cello 85 -111dB
    Oboe 95-112dB
    Flute 92 -103dB
    Piccolo 90 -106dB
    Clarinet 85 - 114dB
    French horn 90 - 106dB
    Trombone 85 - 114dB
    Tympani & bass drum 106dB
    Walkman on 5/10 94dB
    Symphonic music peak 120 - 137dB
    Amplifier rock, 4-6' 120dB
    Rock music peak 150dB

    NOTES:

    • One-third of the total power of a 75-piece orchestra comes from the bass drum.
    • High frequency sounds of 2-4,000 Hz are the most damaging. The uppermost octave of the
    piccolo is 2,048-4,096 Hz.
    • Aging causes gradual hearing loss, mostly in the high frequencies.
    • Speech reception is not seriously impaired until there is about 30 dB loss; by that time severe
    damage may have occurred.
    • Hypertension and various psychological difficulties can be related to noise exposure.
    • The incidence of hearing loss in classical musicians has been estimated at 4-43%, in rock
    musicians 13-30%.

    Statistics for the Decibel (Loudness) Comparison Chart were taken from a study by Marshall Chasin ,
    M.Sc., Aud(C), FAAA, Centre for Human Performance & Health, Ontario, Canada. There were some
    conflicting readings and, in many cases, authors did not specify at what distance the readings were
    taken or what the musician was actually playing. In general, when there were several readings, the
    higher one was chosen.

    SOUND PRESSURE LEVELS


    (in decibels - dB)
    (The following is a table of common everyday sounds along with sounds common in
    music. The red numbers are the sound levels measured in decibels. Wherever possible, I
    have included the distance at which the sound level is being measured.)

    160
    Jet engine - close up
    Snare drums played hard at 6 inches away
    150 Trumpet peaks at 5 inches away

    Rock singer screaming in microphone


    140 (lips on mic)

    Threshold of pain
    130
    Pnuematic (jack) hammer Cymbal crash

    Planes on airport runway 120

    Fender guitar amplifier, full volume at 10


    inches away

    Power tools 110

    Subway (not the sandwich


    shop)
    100

    90
    Heavy truck traffic
    Typical home stereo listening level
    80 Acoustic guitar, played with finger at 1
    foot away
    Average factory

    70
    Busy street Small orchestra

    60 Conversational speech at 1 foot away


    Average office noise 50
    Quiet conversation 40
    Quiet office 30
    Quiet living room 20
    10 Quiet recording studio
    Threshold of hearing for healthy
    0
    youths

    You might also like