Decibel Meter

Sound can be measured with a device called a decibel meter. It samples and measures sound, giving a readout. Decibel meters (also called sound-level meters) can even be accessed on a smartphone through apps. Measuring the sound of an environment with a common device like a smartphone that many people always carry may help protect their ears more often.

Decibel Scale

Sound is measured in units called decibels (dB). The higher the decibel level, the louder the noise. On the decibel scale, the level increase of 10 means that a sound is actually 10 times more intense, or powerful.