What are some real-life examples of different decibel (dB) noise levels?
Decibel sound levels range from the ‘comfortable to hear’ rustling of leaves at just 20 dB, to annoying sounds such as road traffic at 70 dB, and on to potentially damaging sounds such as 90 dB trucks and, further still, painful gun shot and jet engine sounds at 130-150 dB. A quick rule of thumb is this: if you have to shout, or have difficulty being understood by someone just 2 meters away, then the sound level is approximately 80 dB. If the same problem occurs at a distance of just 1 meter, the noise level is around 90 dB. To learn more about decibel noise level, click the image to the right.
Decibel sound levels range widely; from the ‘comfortable to hear’ rustling of leaves at just 20 dB (decibels), to annoying sounds such as road traffic (70 dB), potentially damaging sounds such as 90 dB trucks and, further still, painful gun shot and jet engine sounds (130-150 dB). The noise levels of industrial equipment vary just as widely. A useful rule of thumb is this: if you have to shout, or have difficulty being understood by someone just 2 meters away, then the sound level is approximately 80 dB. If the same problem occurs at a distance of just 1 meter, the noise level is around 90 dB. To learn more about decibel noise levels, click the image to the right.
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