Experiment No.

2
Sound Level Intensity
Objective:
To monitor the sound level intensity of various locations in UET.

Group # 4

Moosa Naseer 2016-CH-17

Rehan Jami 2016-CH-37
Syed Sher Ali Bukhari 2016-CH-27
Mubarram Ali 2016-CH-45

Description:
• Sound level meter will be used to measure the sound intensity at different locations
within the university.

Procedure:
• First of all, we have to switch ON the sound intensity level instrument by pressing start
button.
• After that verify that it is working correctly or not.
• Switch the instrument to A/C (Amplification) mode depending on type of location (Very
noisy or less noisy).
• Now, move to first assigned location i.e. Gate no.3 and switch your instrument to fast
measurement mode so that quickly changing sound intensity threshold could be recorded
with least error.
• Press Max/Min button on the instrument two times to start the recording procedure for at-
least 5 minutes.
• After the time has reached the set-point, press Max/Min button two times, one to show
Maximum of recorded intensity level and two to show Minimum of recorded intensity
level.
• Now, repeat the procedure at Library (Position 2) and Extension Canteen (Position 3) by
choosing slow and fast mode respectively.
• Note down all observations separately and point out activity that have caused that
minima/maxima at the respective location.
Observations and Calculations:
Location Level Max/Min Activity
Measurement (Intensity)
mode dB
Maximum Minimum Maximum Minimum
Gate No.3 Fast Mode 88 72 Rickshaw engine Traffic flow
ceased
Library Slow Mode 65 48 Our footnotes Silence as
while moving usual with
upstairs nobody near
Extension Fast Mode 89 68 Due to laughing Dead-point or
of people on sudden
adjacent chairs silence of
talking people

Note*: The default intensity level mode has been set to A for all three locations.

Graphical Representation:

Sound Intenisty Level horizon (dB)

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
Gate No. 3 Library Extension

Instantaneous Maximum Minimum

Conclusion:
The sound level intensity meter is a portable device/instrument that is very handy to measure the
sound intensity level at any location. The position no.1 that was gate no.3 has very fast paced noise
level owing to continuous flow of traffic. The highest and lowest peaks were recorded and
activity/causes were judged by discussion and observation. The 2nd position that was library has
very slow paced or deem sound intensity level due to its cultural representation of reading area
with forbidden unusual whispering (Sounds of every mystery indeed). The third location was
extension canteen and it was considered a fast-paced location due to great hustle and bustle there.

Learning from Sound Intensity Level Experiment:

The sound intensity level measurement helps us to:

• Identify all possible causes of noises and to estimate their role in environmental pollution.
• Understand the difference between fast paced and slow-paced sound intensity locations.
• Advocate what activities can cause the maximum sound intensity level at certain locations
and what activities can cause dilution in intensity or can cause a minimum.

Significance of Sound Intensity Level Measurement:

Sound intensity levels are quoted in decibels (dB) much more often than sound intensities in watts
per meter squared. Decibels are the unit of choice in the scientific literature as well as in the popular
media. The reasons for this choice of units are related to how we perceive sounds. How our ears
perceive sound can be more accurately described by the logarithm of the intensity rather than
directly to the intensity. The sound intensity level β in decibels of a sound having an intensity I in
watts per meter squared is defined to be β(dB)=10log10(II0) β(dB)=10log10⁡(II0), where I0 =
10−12 W/m2 is a reference intensity. In particular, I0 is the lowest or threshold intensity of sound a
person with normal hearing can perceive at a frequency of 1000 Hz. Sound intensity level is not
the same as intensity. Because β is defined in terms of a ratio, it is a unitless quantity telling you
the level of the sound relative to a fixed standard (10−12 W/m2 , in this case). The units of decibels
(dB) are used to indicate this ratio is multiplied by 10 in its definition. The bel, upon which the
decibel is based, is named for Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone.
One of the more striking things about the intensities in literature is that the intensity in watts per
meter squared is quite small for most sounds. The ear is sensitive to as little as a trillionth of a watt
per meter squared—even more impressive when you realize that the area of the eardrum is only
about 1 cm2 , so that only 10–16 W falls on it at the threshold of hearing! Air molecules in a sound
wave of this intensity vibrate over a distance of less than one molecular diameter, and the gauge
pressures involved are less than 10–9 atm.
Another impressive feature of the sounds in literature is their numerical range. Sound intensity
varies by a factor of 1012 from threshold to a sound that causes damage in seconds. You are
unaware of this tremendous range in sound intensity because how your ears respond can be
described approximately as the logarithm of intensity. Thus, sound intensity levels in decibels fit
your experience better than intensities in watts per meter squared. The decibel scale is also easier
to relate to because most people are more accustomed to dealing with numbers such as 0, 53, or
120 than numbers such as 1.00 × 10–11 .