For other uses, see Decibel (disambiguation).

The decibel (dB) is a logarithmic unit of measurement that expresses the magnitude of a physical quantity (usually power) relative to a specified or implied reference level. Its logarithmic nature allows very large or very small ratios to be represented by a convenient number, in a similar manner to scientific notation. Being essentially a ratio, it is a dimensionless unit. Decibels are useful for a wide variety of measurements in acoustics, physics, electronics and other disciplines. The decibel is not an SI unit, although the International Committee for Weights and Measures (CIPM) has recommended its inclusion in the SI system. Following the SI convention, the d is lowercase, as it represents the SI prefix deci-, and the B is capitalized, as it is an abbreviation of a name-derived unit, the bel (see below). The full name decibel follows the usual English capitalization rules for a common noun. The decibel symbol is often qualified with a suffix, which indicates which reference quantity has been assumed. For example, "dBm" indicates that the reference quantity is one milliwatt. A decibel is one tenth of a bel (B). Devised by engineers of the Bell Telephone Laboratory to quantify the reduction in audio level over a 1 mile (1.6 km) length of standard telephone cable, the bel was originally called the transmission unit or TU, but was renamed in 1923 or 1924 in honor of the laboratory's founder and telecommunications pioneer Alexander Graham Bell. In many situations, however, the bel proved inconveniently large, so the decibel has become more common. The definitions of the decibel and bel use base-10 logarithms. For a similar unit using natural logarithms to base e, see neper.

[edit] Definitions
[edit] Power
When referring to measurements of power or intensity, the decibel is ten times the base10 logarithm of the ratio of the measured quantity to the reference level. It is therefore defined by the formula:

where X is the actual value of the quantity being measured, X0 is a specified or implied reference level (in the same units as X), and XdB is the quantity expressed in decibels, relative to X0. Which reference is used depends on convention and context (see later in this article). The reference level itself is always at 0 dB, as shown by setting X = X0 in the above equation. If X is greater than X0 then XdB is positive; if X is less than X0 then XdB is negative.

Rearranging the above equation gives the following formula for X in terms of X0 and XdB:

Since a bel is equal to ten decibels, the corresponding formulas for measurement in bels (XB) are

Amplitude, voltage and current

When referring to measurements of amplitude it is usual to consider the ratio of the squares of X (measured amplitude) and X0 (reference amplitude). This is because in most applications power is proportional to the square of amplitude. Thus the following definition is used:

The formula may be rearranged to give

Similarly, in electrical circuits, dissipated power is typically proportional to the square of voltage or current when the impedance is held constant. Taking voltage as an example, this leads to the equation:

where V is the voltage being measured, V0 is a specified reference voltage, and VdB is the voltage gain expressed in decibels. A similar formula holds for current.

Examples
These examples assume that X in the formulas above measures power relative to 1 W (one watt); i.e. X0 = 1 W.

To convert 1 kW (one kilowatt, or 1000 W) to decibels, use the formula

To convert 1 mW (one milliwatt, or 0.001 W) to decibels, use the formula

To find the actual value of 3 dB, use the formula

It will be seen that there is a 10 dB increase (decrease) for each factor 10 increase (decrease) in the ratio of X to X0, and approximately a 3 dB increase (decrease) for every factor 2 increase (decrease).

Merits
The use of decibels has a number of merits:

The mathematical laws of exponents mean that the overall decibel gain of a multicomponent system (such as consecutive amplifiers) can be calculated simply by summing the decibel gains of the individual components, rather than needing to multiply amplification factors. A very large range of ratios can be expressed with decibel values in a range of moderate size, allowing one to clearly visualize huge changes of some quantity. (See Bode Plot and half logarithm graph.) In acoustics, the decibel scale approximates the human perception of loudness (which is itself roughly logarithmic).

Uses
Acoustics
Main article: Acoustics The decibel is commonly used in acoustics to quantify sound levels relative to some 0 dB reference. The reference level is typically set at the threshold of human perception; see sound pressure.

A reason for using the decibel is that the ear is capable of detecting a very large range of sound pressures (see Examples of sound pressure and sound pressure levels). The ratio of the sound pressure that causes permanent damage from short exposure to the limit that (undamaged) ears can hear is above a million. Because the power in a sound wave is proportional to the square of the pressure, the ratio of the maximum power to the minimum power is above one (short scale) trillion. To deal with such a range, logarithmic units are useful: the log of a trillion is 12, so this ratio represents a difference of 120 dB. Since the human ear is not equally sensitive to all the frequencies of sound within the entire spectrum, noise levels at maximum human sensitivity middle A and its higher harmonics (between 2 and 4 kHz) are factored more heavily into sound descriptions using a process called frequency weighting.

Electronics
The decibel is used rather than arithmetic ratios or percentages because when certain types of circuits, such as amplifiers and attenuators, are connected in series, expressions of power level in decibels may be arithmetically added and subtracted. It is also common in disciplines such as audio, in which the properties of the signal are best expressed in logarithms due to the response of the ear. In radio electronics and telecommunications, the decibel is used to describe the ratio between two measurements of electrical power. It can also be combined with a suffix to create an absolute unit of electrical power. For example, it can be combined with "m" for "milliwatt" to produce the "dBm". Zero dBm is one milliwatt, and 1 dBm is one decibel greater than 0 dBm, or about 1.259 mW. Decibels are used to account for the gains and losses of a signal from a transmitter to a receiver through some medium (free space, wave guides, coax, fiber optics, etc.) using a link budget. In professional audio, a popular unit is the dBu (see below for all the units). The "u" stands for "unloaded", and was probably chosen to be similar to lowercase "v", as dBv was the older name for the same thing. It was changed to avoid confusion with dBV. This unit (dBu) is an RMS measurement of voltage which uses as its reference 0.775 VRMS. Chosen for historical reasons, it is the voltage level at which you get 1 mW of power in a 600 ohm resistor, which used to be the standard reference impedance in almost all professional low impedance audio circuits. The bel is used to represent noise power levels in hard drive specifications. dBA ratings According to Paul Tipler's Physics For Scientists and Engineers (Third Edition, 1991 by Worth Publishers):

Normal Breathing 10dB Soft whisper (at 5m) 30dB Normal Conversation 60dB Busy Traffic 70dB Average Factory 80dB Niagra Falls 90dB

Optics
In an optical link, if a known amount of optical power, in dBm (referenced to 1 mW), is launched into a fibre, and the losses, in dB (decibels), of each electronic component (e.g., connectors, splices, and lengths of fibre) are known, the overall link loss may be quickly calculated by simple addition and subtraction of decibel quantities. In spectrometry and optics, the blocking unit used to measure optical density is equivalent to 1 B. In astronomy, the apparent magnitude measures the brightness of a star logarithmically, since, just as the ear responds logarithmically to acoustic power, the eye responds logarithmically to brightness; however astronomical magnitudes reverse the sign with respect to the bel, so that the brightest stars have the lowest magnitudes, and the magnitude increases for fainter stars.

Seismology
Earthquakes were formerly measured on the Richter scale, which is expressed in bels, though they are not labeled with a unit. The more modern moment magnitude scale is designed to produce values comparable to those of the Richter scale.

Common reference levels and corresponding units

"Absolute" and "relative" decibel measurements
Although decibel measurements are always relative to a reference level, if the numerical value of that reference is explicitly and exactly stated, then the decibel measurement is called an "absolute" measurement, in the sense that the exact value of the measured quantity can be recovered using the formulas given earlier. For example, since dBm indicates power measurement relative to 1 milliwatt,

0 dBm means no change from 1 mW, in other words 0 dBm is 1 mW. 3 dBm means 3 dB greater than 1 mW. 3 dBm is 103/10 1 mW, or approximately 2 mW. 6 dBm means 6 dB less than 1 mW. 6 dBm is 106/10 1 mW, or approximately 250 W (0.25 mW).

If the numerical value of the reference is not explicitly stated, as in the dB gain of an amplifier, then the decibel measurement is purely relative.

Absolute measurements
Electric power dBm or dBmW dB(1 mW) power measurement relative to 1 milliwatt. XdBm = XdBW + 30. dBW dB(1 W) similar to dBm, except the reference level is 1 watt. 0 dBW = +30 dBm; -30 dBW = 0 dBm; XdBW = XdBm - 30. Voltage It should be clarified to the novice that although 3dBW in power is a 10-fold increase(decrease) - when working in voltage the formula becomes 20 x Log of (Vout/Vin) and hence 10 fold VOLTAGE increases yield 6DB(mv et al) as opposed to only 3dB with power formula). Ref; that formula for power is E-squared (over R).[queried]

A schematic showing the relationship between dBu (the voltage source) and dBm (the power dissipated as heat by the 600 resistor) dBu or dBv dB(0.775 VRMS) voltage relative to 0.775 volts.[1] Originally dBv, it was changed to dBu to avoid confusion with dBV.[citation needed] The "v" comes from "volt", while "u" comes from "unloaded". dBu can be used regardless of impedance, but is derived from a 600 load dissipating 0 dBm (1 mW). dBV dB(1 VRMS) voltage relative to 1 volt, regardless of impedance.[2] dBmV dB(1 mVRMS) - voltage relative to 1 millivolt, regardless of impedance. Widely used in cable television networks, where the nominal strength of a single TV signal at the receiver terminals is about 0 dBmV. Cable TV uses 75 coaxial cable, so 0 dBmV corresponds to -48.75 dBm.

Acoustics dB(SPL) dB(Sound Pressure Level) for sound in air and other gases, relative to 20 micropascals (Pa) = 2105 Pa, the quietest sound a human can hear. This is roughly the sound of a mosquito flying 3 metres away. This is often abbreviated to just "dB", which gives some the erroneous notion that "dB" is an absolute unit by itself. For sound in water and other liquids, a reference pressure of 1 Pa is used. dB SIL dB Sound Intensity Level relative to 1012 W/m2, which is roughly the threshold of human hearing in air. dB SWL dB Sound Power Level relative to 1012 W. dB(A), dB(B), and dB(C) These symbols are often used to denote the use of different frequency weightings, used to approximate the human ear's response to sound, although the measurement is still in dB (SPL). Other variations that may be seen are dBA or dBA. According to ANSI standards, the preferred usage is to write LA = x dB, as dBA implies a reference to an "A" unit, not an A-weighting. They are still used commonly as a shorthand for A-weighted measurements, however. [edit] Radio power or energy dBJ dB(J) - energy relative to 1 joule. 1 joule = 1 watt-second, so noise spectral density can be expressed in dBJ, where 0 dBJ = 0 dBW/Hz. Boltzmann's constant is -228.6 dBJ/K. dBm dB(mW) power relative to 1 milliwatt. dB or dBu dB(V/m) electric field strength relative to 1 microvolt per metre. dBf

dB(fW) power relative to 1 femtowatt. dBW dB(W) power relative to 1 watt. dBk dB(kW) power relative to 1 kilowatt.

[edit] Relative measurements

dBd dB(dipole) the forward gain of an antenna compared to a half-wave dipole antenna. dBFS or dBfs dB(full scale) the amplitude of a signal (usually audio) compared to the maximum which a device can handle before clipping occurs. In digital systems, 0 dBFS would equal the highest level (number) the processor is capable of representing. This is an instantaneous (sample) value as compared to the dBm/dBu/dBv which are typically RMS.[dubious see talk page] Measured values are usually negative, since they should be less than the maximum. dB-Hz dB(Hertz) - Bandwidth relative to 1 Hz. E.g., 20 dB-Hz is equal to 100 Hz. Commonly used in link budget calculations. dBi dB(isotropic) the forward gain of an antenna compared to an idealized isotropic antenna, which uniformly distributes energy in all directions. dBov or dBO dB(overload) the amplitude of a signal (usually audio) compared to the maximum which a device can handle before clipping occurs. Similar to dBFS, but also applicable to analog systems. dBr

dB(relative) simply a relative difference to something else, which is made apparent in context. The difference of a filter's response to nominal levels, for instance. dBrn dB above reference noise See also dBrnC. dBc dB relative to carrier in telecommunications, this indicates the relative levels of noise or sideband peak power, compared to the carrier power.

[edit] Reckoning
Decibels are handy for mental calculation, because adding them is easier than multiplying ratios. First, however, one has to be able to convert easily between ratios and decibels. The most obvious way is to memorize the logs of small primes, but there are a few other tricks that can help.

[edit] Round numbers

The values of coins and banknotes are round numbers. The rules are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. One is a round number Twice a round number is a round number: 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 Ten times a round number is a round number: 10, 100 Half a round number is a round number: 50, 25, 12.5, 6.25 The tenth of a round number is a round number: 5, 2.5, 1.25, 1.6, 3.2, 6.4

Now 6.25 and 6.4 are approximately equal to 6.3, so we don't care. Thus the round numbers between 1 and 10 are these:
Ratio dB 1 0 1.25 1.6 1 2 2 3 2.5 4 3.2 5 4 6 5 7 6.3 8 8 9 10 10

This useful approximate table of logarithms is easily reconstructed or memorized.

[edit] The 4 6 energy rule

To one decimal place of precision, 4.x is 6.x in dB (energy). Examples:

10 log10(4.0) 6.0 dB 10 log10(4.3) 6.3 dB

10 log10(4.7) 6.7 dB 10 log10(4.9) 6.9 dB

[edit] The "789" rule

To one decimal place of precision, x ( x + 5.0 dB) for 7.0 x 10. Examples:

10 log10(7.0) 7.0 + 5.0 dB = 3.5 + 5.0 dB = 8.5 dB 10 log10(7.5) 7.5 + 5.0 dB = 3.75 + 5.0 dB = 8.75 dB 10 log10(8.2) 8.2 + 5.0 dB = 4.1 + 5.0 dB = 9.1 dB 10 log10(9.9) 9.9 + 5.0 dB = 4.95 + 5.0 dB = 9.95 dB 10 log10(10.0) 10.0 + 5.0 dB = 5.0 + 5.0 dB = 10 dB

[edit] 3 dB power
A level difference of 3 dB is roughly double/half power (equal to a ratio of 1.995). That is why it is commonly used as a marking on sound equipment and the like. Another common sequence is 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 ... . These preferred numbers are very close to being equally spaced in terms of their logarithms. The actual values would be 1, 2.15, 4.64, 10 ... . The conversion for decibels is often simplified to: "+3 dB means two times the power and 1.414 times the voltage", and "+6 dB means four times the power and two times the voltage ". While this is accurate for many situations, it is not exact. As stated above, decibels are defined so that +10 dB means "ten times the power". From this, we calculate that +3 dB actually multiplies the power by 103/10. This is a power ratio of 1.9953 or about 0.25% different from the "times 2" power ratio that is sometimes assumed. A level difference of +6 dB is 3.9811, about 0.5% different from 4. To contrive a more serious example, consider converting a large decibel figure into its linear ratio, for example 120 dB. The power ratio is correctly calculated as a ratio of 1012 or one trillion. But if we use the assumption that 3 dB means "times 2", we would calculate a power ratio of 2120/3 = 240 = 1.0995 1012, giving a 10% error.

[edit] 6 dB per bit

In digital audio linear pulse-code modulation, the first bit (least significant bit, or LSB) produces residual quantization noise (bearing little resemblance to the source signal) and each subsequent bit offered by the system doubles the (voltage) resolution, corresponding to a 6 dB (power) ratio. So for instance, a 16-bit (linear) audio format offers 15 bits beyond the first, for a dynamic range (between quantization noise and clipping) of (15

6) = 90 dB, meaning that the maximum signal (see 0 dBFS, above) is 90 dB above the theoretical peak(s) of quantization noise. The negative impacts of quantization noise can be reduced by implementing dither.

dB chart
As is clear from the above description, the dB level is a logarithmic way of expressing not only power ratios, but also voltage ratios The following tables are cheat-sheets that provide values for various dB power ratios and also "voltage" ratios.
Commonly used dB values

dB level

power ratio

dB level

voltage ratio

30 dB 1/1000 = 0.001

30 dB

= 0.03162

20 dB 1/100 = 0.01

20 dB

= 0.1

10 dB 1/10 = 0.1

10 dB

= 0.3162

3 dB 1/2 = 0.5 (approx.)

3 dB

= 0.7071

3 dB 2 (approx.)

3 dB

= 1.414

10 dB 10

10 dB

= 3.162

20 dB 100

20 dB

= 10

30 dB 1000

30 dB

= 31.62