• Adventure
  • Auto
  • Culture
  • Entertainment
  • Home & Garden
  • Money
  • Science
  • Tech
  • Video
  • Shows
  • Blogs
  • Quizzes
  • Games
  • Random Article
  • Engineering
  • Environmental Science
  • Forces of Nature
  • Innovation
  • Military
  • Physical Science
  • Science Dictionary
  • Science Versus Myth
  • Space
  • Transportation
  • Home > 
  • Science > 
  • Physical Science > 
  • Acoustics

Print
Cite This!
Close 
Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this HowStuffWorks article:

"What is a decibel, and how is it measured?"  01 April 2000.  HowStuffWorks.com. <http://science.howstuffworks.com/question124.htm>  10 February 2012.
Cite
Feedback

Stuff You Should Know

Josh &amp; Chuck explore zombies, mirror neurons and more »
Josh & Chuck explore zombies, mirror neurons and more »
Inside this Article
  1. What is a decibel?
  2. Lots More Information
  1. See all Acoustics articles

Lots More Information

Related HowStuffWorks Articles

  • How Hearing Works
  • What is white noise? Why can you hear the ocean when holding a seashell to your ear?

More Great Links

  • ASHA: Noise is difficult to define
  • NIDCD: Hearing, Ear Infections, and Deafness
  • Toy Safety: Toys may haunt your children's ears for years to come
  • Decibels
VIDEO: Check out amazing videos exploring the chemistry of innovations. »
Previous Page

All Things Science

10 Incredible Wind Power Facts
10 Incredible Wind Power Facts
10 Remarkable Exoplanets
10 Remarkable Exoplanets
Fact or Fiction: Earthquake Quiz
Fact or Fiction: Earthquake Quiz
Top 10 Things That Women Invented
Top 10 Things That Women Invented
Get in Touch With the Dark Arts
Get in Touch With the Dark Arts
Watch 100 Greatest Discoveries videos »

You Might Also Like

How Perfume Works

We once emptied the scent pods of male musk deer into a bottle of fragrance and doused it on, feeling like a million bucks. How has perfume changed since then?

How Nicotine Works

Smoking or chewing tobacco makes many people feel good, even mildly euphoric. It’s the nicotine that produces the buzz. Find out how nicotine affects the human body and what makes it so addictive.

Popular Articles

  • What would nuclear winter be like?
  • Germanium
  • Protactinium
Inside this Article
  1. What is a decibel?
  2. Lots More Information
  1. See all Acoustics articles
Previous Page

Video Favorites

FPO
  • Robot Videos
  • Extreme Engineering Videos
  • 10 Ways The World Will End Videos
  • Space Station Videos

New HSW Games

FPO
  • Storm Tracker
  • Speed Match
  • Crab Fishing Game
  • Volcano Explorer
  • Lost in Migration
  • Word Bubbles
HOWSTUFFWORKS
  • Adventure
  • Auto
  • Culture
  • Entertainment
  • Health
  • Home & Garden
  • Lifestyle
  • Money
  • Science
  • Tech
MORE STUFF
  • Blogs
  • Games
  • HSW Tools
  • RSS
  • Maps
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Newsletters
  • Video
OUR WEBSITES
  • Animal Planet
  • Consumer Guide Auto
  • Consumer Guide Products
  • Discovery Channel
  • Discovery Fit & Health
  • HSW Brazil
  • HSW China HowStuffWorks China
  • Investigation Discovery
  • Oprah Winfrey Network
  • Planet Green
  • Science Channel
  • TLC
  • Discovery Education
  • Store
CUSTOMER SERVICE
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Help
CORPORATE
  • About Us
  • Careers @ Discovery
  • Privacy Policy
  • Visitor Agreement
TAKE US WITH YOU
FOLLOW US
© 1998-2012 HowStuffWorks, Inc