Decibel (dB)
Decibel is a logarithmic unit that measures sound intensity, or in other terms sound pressure level and other quantities. The value is always expressed in terms of power or intensity.
Usage: It is commonly used for describing the levels of audio, acoustics, and electronic communications regarding sound, signal strength, and other measurements related to noise and sound.
Bel (B)
Description: The Bel is the unit of measure for ratios of power levels and represents ten decibels. It was named after Alexander Graham Bell.
Usage: USED RARELY ALONE IN ITS BIG UNITS, BUT ONLY PERIPHERALLY USES DECIBELS
Pascal (Pa)
Description: Pascal is the SI unit of pressure and stress. It is used in sound to measure the pressure of a sound. One Pascal is equal to the force of one Newton per a square meter.
Usage: It is mainly used in acoustics to describe the sound pressure levels, most particularly in scientific and technical terms.
Micropascal (µPa)
Description: Micropascal denotes one millionth part of a Pascal. This measures very low sound pressures. It will be highly sensitive acoustic measurements, especially in very quiet environments.
Usage: Used in applications where low-level sound pressures need to be measured with great accuracy, like in underwater acoustics as well as in environmental noise investigations.
Sound Pressure Level (SPL)
Definition: SPL represents a particular measurement of the sound pressure in relation to a reference level. It is typically expressed in decibels (dB) relative to a standard reference pressure value of 20 micropascals, that is, the threshold of human hearing.
It has the common usage in the audio and acoustic fields. It determines, for example, the loudness or strength of the sound coming from a source. These may have application to noise control and audio system designing as well as for monitoring ambient noise.
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