AVIXA Recognized AV Technologist Test 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

Sound pressure level is primarily measured in decibels (dB) because this unit expresses the ratio of a particular sound pressure to a reference sound pressure, allowing for a logarithmic scale that is more manageable for the human ear's perception of sound. The decibel scale is used because it can represent very large variations in sound pressure levels more concisely and effectively.

Using decibels also provides a clear understanding of sound intensity, as it correlates well with the way sound is perceived. For example, an increase of about 10 dB typically represents a perceived doubling of loudness to the human ear.

The other units mentioned: amplitude, Hertz (Hz), and frequencies are not suitable for measuring sound pressure level. Amplitude refers to the magnitude of the sound wave but does not reflect the relative intensity in a way that accounts for human hearing sensitivity. Hertz is a unit of frequency that reflects the number of cycles per second in a sound wave, while frequencies simply indicate pitch and not intensity or loudness. Thus, decibels remain the standardized and most effective measurement for sound pressure level.