The inverse square law is a mathematical model representing the reduction in sou nd level with an increase in distance Decibels

- one of the most fundamental elements of our business The Bel (B) is a unit of measurement invented by Bell Labs and named after Alexa nder Graham Bell. the deciBel(dB), equal to 0.1 B, became more commonly used as a unit for measuri ng sound intensity References Electrical Electrical Acoustical - Standard values provided in the denominator of the ratio references: Power references: Voltage references

In sound measurements, WEIGHTING is used to adjust the frequency response of a s ound level meter to represent the hearing characteristics of humans. 3 weightings are common: A,B and C REFLECTION Sound bounces off the surface ABSORPTION Energy that does not reflected nor passed through DIFFRACTION Change in direction when sound encounters an obstacle smaller than its wavelengt h. Tends to bend around the obstacle REFRECTION Change in direction when sound passes from 1 medium to another Typically occurs when sound passes through layers of air with different temperat ure Sound velocity increases when temperature increases INTERFERENCE When two or more sound waves collide producing different result ARTICULATION LOSS OF CONSTANTS (ALCONS) Ability to communicate in a given environment Describes the calculated or measured amount of consonants lost or not understood Varies from person to person

ULTRASONIC WAVES Sound produced by an object which is vibrating at a frequency higher than a huma n ear can hear barely penetrating due to short wavelength. INFRASONIC WAVES Compressional waves whose frequency is less than that to which the ear is sensit

ive. SUPERSONIC Object travelling faster than the speed of sound LOUDNESS An observer s auditory impression of the strength of a sound. LOUDNESS LEVEL Measured by the sound pressure level of a standard pure tone of specified freque ncy which is assessed by normal observers as being equally loud. MEL A unit of pitch. OCTAVE The tone whose frequency is twice that of the given tone PITCH Attribute of auditory sensation in terms of which sound may be ordered on a scal e related primarily to frequency. PURE TONE A sound in which the sound pressure varies sinusoidally with time

REVERBERATION The persistence of sound in an enclosure due to repeated reflections at the boun daries.

REVERBERATION TIME The time required for the mean square sound pressure of a given frequency in an enclosure, initially in a steady state, to decrease after the source is stopped , to one millionth of its initial value. The time for 60 dB decay.

SONE The unit of loudness on a scare designed to give scale numbers approximately pro portional to the loudness. SOUND INTENSITY ( I ) The sound energy flux through unit area, normal to that direction.

SOUND POWER The total sound energy radiated per unit time.

SOUND POWER LEVEL (PWL) Is equal to 10 times the logarithm to the base 10 of the ratio of the sound powe r of the source to the reference sound power (10-12W).

SOUND PRESSURE (P) At a point in a sound field; the alternating component of the pressure at the po int: N/m2.

SOUND PRESURE LEVEL (SPL) Is equal to 20 times the logarithm to the base 10 of the ratio of the RMS sound pressure to the reference sound pressure (2 x 10-5 N/m2).

SPEAKER Converts current variations into sound waves

REVERBERATION FACTORS Factors Power of the source Volume of the room Area of all surfaces in room Absorption coefficients for all surfaces