Lecture 04: Sound Pressure and Intensity Level

Dr. Shankha Pratim Bhattacharya

Department of Architecture & Regional Planning

1
 Learning Objective

Convert the Sound Intensity and Pressure into Sound Level

Calculate the Resultant Sound Level from multiple Sound source
 Logarithmic Operations
log a  x,  10  a
x

log a  logb  log(ab)

a
log a   log b  log 
b

log a n  n  log a
Human Hearing
Pinna Auditory Canal Ear Drum
Human Hearing

Patm + Ps

External Ear Auditory Canal

Patm + Ps
Ps
Ear Drum

Patm

Eustachian Tube

Eustachian Tube Atmospheric Pressure: Patm

Pressure due to Sound: Ps
 Ear Drum
Human Hearing

Ps
Ear Drum Middle Ear Bones

Micro-mechanical
Amplification

Cochlea
Cochlea

Middle Ear Bones

Malleus, Incus, and Stapes
 Human Hearing

Auditory Nerves

Cochlea
Cochlea

Mechanical-Electro
Brain Auditory Nerves Conversion
 Patm + Ps
Atmospheric Pressure: Patm Human Hearing
External Ear Auditory Canal Pressure due to Sound: Ps

Patm + Ps
Ps
Ear Drum Middle Ear Bones

Patm
Micro-mechanical
Eustachian Tube Amplification

Cochlea

Mechanical-Electro
Brain Auditory Nerves Conversion
Psychologist Weber suggested:- Human Hearing

Change of Subjective Response (R)

is proportional to
the Functional change of Stimulus (S)
S
R 
S
Integrating:
S We hear Logarithmic
 R   S
R  log( S )  C
R  k . log( S )
 Limits of Audibility
Threshold of Pain

20 N/m2 1 w/m2

Sound Pressure Sound Intensity

N/m2 w/m2

2X10-5 N/m2 10-12 w/m2

Threshold of Audibility
 Threshold of Pain Sound Intensity Level

1 w/m2
1
SIL  10 log 12
 120dB Sound Intensity Level
10
I I
SIL  log [bel] SIL  10 log decibel
I ref I ref

SIL  10 log 1  0dB I = Actual Sound Intensity in W/m2

10-12 w/m2 Iref = 10-12 W/m2

Threshold of Audibility
 Threshold of Pain Sound Power Level

1w
1 Sound Power Level
SPL  10 log 12
 120dB
10
W
SPL  10 log
Wref

SPL  10 log 1  0dB W= Actual Sound Power in W

10-12 w Wref = 10-12 W

Threshold of Audibility
 Threshold of Pain Sound Pressure Level
20 N/m2

20
SPL  20 log 5
 120dB Intensity (Pressure)2
2 10
Sound Pressure Level
P
SPL  20 log
SPL  20 log 1  0dB Pref
2X10-5 N/m2
P = Actual Sound Pressure in Pa
Pref = 2x10-5 Pa = 20μPa
Threshold of Audibility
 Sound Level Meter

Alexander Graham Bell

 Sound Intensity to Sound Level Conversion
Sound Intensity Level from Sound Intensity
I
L  10 log
I ref

If Sound Intensity is 0.005 w/m2

So, replacing: I = 0.005 W/m2 & Iref = 10-12 W/m2

0.005
L  10 log 12
 10 log( 59
)  10  9.698  97dB
10
 Sound Level to Intensity Conversion
Sound Intensity from Sound Intensity Level
I I L  L
 
 L
I  
L  10 log    10  10 
I  I ref 10
log  10 
I ref I ref  10  I ref

If SIL is 65 dB
So, replacing: L = 65 db

 L  65 
   
I  I ref  10  10 
 1012  10  10 
 1012  106.5  3.162  10 6W / m2
 Sound Sources Sound Level in dB
Range of Sound Level
Sweeping of dry leaves 10
Background noise in TV Studio 20
Library / Bed Room 30 – 40
Residential Zone 50
Normal Conversation 60
Vacuum Cleaner (1m) 70
Heavy City Traffic 80
Pneumatic Drill 90 – 100
Discotheque 100 – 110
Jet Aircraft (100m) 140
 Source-1  L1 
I1   Addition of Sound Levels
L1 L1  10 log I1  I ref  10  10 
I ref
  L1  
 L2 


Sound Intensities can be Arithmetically Added ITotal  I1  I 2   I ref  10  10 

 10 10 

 
 L2 
I2  
L2 L2  10 log I 2  I ref 10  10 

Source-2
I ref

ITotal   L1  
 L2 

So, if two different SPL of L1 & L2 are added, LTotal  10 log  10 log 10   10  
10 10

Then the resultant SPL will be given by: I ref  

  10
L1 
 
 L2 

LTotal  10 log 10   10  
10

 
If both the sound source are producing same intensity Addition of Sound Levels
Then, L1 = L2 = L
I1 = I2 = I

ITotal  I1  I 2   2I

ITotal 2I I
LTotal  10 log  10 log  10 log  10 log( 2)
I ref I ref I ref

LTotal  L  3dB
 3.0 Addition of Sound Levels
2.5
Add to Larger Sound level

2.0

1.5

1.0

0.5
How to read this graph??
0.0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Difference between two sound levels (dB)
Let Addition of Sound Levels
L1 = 60 dB & L2 = 65 dB
  10
L1 
 
 L2 

  10
60 
 
 65 
LTotal  10 log 10  
 10 
 10 
 

LTotal  10 log 10 
 10 10    10 log 106  106.5  66.2dB  
 
66.2 = 65 + 1.2
Let
L1 = 90 dB & L2 = 95 dB
 
LTotal  10 log 109  109.5  96.2dB 96.2 = 95 + 1.2

Difference between two sound levels = 5dB

Add 1.2dB to the larger Sound Level
 3.0 Addition of Sound Levels
2.5
Difference between two sound levels = 5dB
Add to Larger Sound level

2.0
Add 1.2dB to the larger Sound Level
1.5

1.0

0.5

0.0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Difference between two sound levels (dB)
 Addition of Sound Levels

In case of Many Sound Levels and/ or intensities are added together

  L1   L2 
 
 L3 
 
 Ln 
  
LTotal  10 log 10 10 
 10 10 
 10  10 
 ....  10  10 

 

 Li 
n  
LTotal  10 log 10  10 

i 1
 Home Work

Can you convert the following physical parameters to its related Sound Levels
1. Sound Intensity of 0.004 W/m2
2. Sound Pressure of 1.2 MPa

If two different source of sound having dB level: 58dB & 62 dB are added,
What will be the resultant Sound Level?
1. Compute using mathematical formula
2. Check your result from the graph
 Bibliography

1. Acoustics in the Built Environment, Duncan Templeton, Architectural Press; 2nd Edition

2. Architectural Acoustics, K.B.Genn, Burel & Kjaer, 2nd Edition

3. Architectural Acoustics, Marshall Long, El Sevier, Academic Press,

4. Mechanical and Electrical Equipment for Buildings, Walter T. Grondzik, Alison G. Kwok, Benjamin

Stein and John S. Reynolds, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (11th Edition) [Part-IV]

End of Lecture 04: Sound Pressure and Intensity Level