The relationship between decibels (dB) and pressure amplitude is logarithmic. This means that for every increase of 10 dB, the pressure amplitude increases by a factor of 10. In other words, a sound with a decibel level of 80 dB has a pressure amplitude 10 times greater than a sound with a decibel level of 70 dB.
The formula for converting decibels to pressure amplitude is:
PA (in Pascals) = 10^(dB/20)
Where dB is the decibel level.
No, pressure amplitude cannot be negative. It is a measure of the magnitude of pressure, and negative pressure does not exist in the physical world. However, the decibel scale can have negative values as it is a relative measure of sound intensity.
Yes, the standard reference value for pressure amplitude in decibels is 20 micropascals (µPa). This is equivalent to the threshold of human hearing. Any sound with a pressure amplitude of 20 µPa will have a decibel level of 0 dB.
No, decibels are only suitable for measuring pressure amplitude of sounds that are audible to the human ear. For sounds that are below or above the audible range, different units of measurement are used, such as bels or neper. Additionally, decibels are not an accurate measure for measuring pressure amplitude of non-sound waves, such as seismic waves or electromagnetic waves.