ONE VIEW:
Perceived loudness of sound is measured in Decibels (dB), which is a logarithmic scale. This means that the actual energy of sound that is 10 dB versus 20 dB is actually 10-fold more energetic, although the perception of sound (and light) closely resembles a human's perception. For example, leaves rustling would be about 10 dB, an everyday conversation around 65 dB, and a military jet far away 140 dB. The threshold of pain for a human is approximately 120 dB.
This relates to intensity (Power/Area) in the equation:
B = (10 dB)*log (I/Io)
Where B is the Decibel level, Io= 1012 W/m2 (Threshold of hearing), and I is the intensity.
The Decibel is used instead of intensity because of the nature of our hearing. Since we have such a large range of hearing, the intensities from the first paragraph would range from 10-11 to 102 .
The Bel is the actual base unit for sound intensity (named after Alexander Graham Bell), but the Bel is so large, it became convenient to use the Decibel, which is one tenth a Bel.
ANOTHER VIEW:
Perceived loudness is measured in sones. This is based on tests where people were asked to compare sounds and assess their relative "loudnesses". (The Bel is a measured value, rather than a perceived value.)
The psychoacoustic loudness N is measured in sones.
The loudness level (Volume) LN is measured in phons.
Scroll down to related links and look at "Conversion of sone to phon and the problem with dBA".
Sound intensity is measured in watts per meter squared (W/m²).
Sound intensity level is measured in decibels (dB).
We measure sound with a SPL meter (Sound Pressure Level).
Reference sound intensity Io = 10^−12 W/m² (Threshold of human hearing). Reference sound intensity level LIo = 0 dB-SIL (Threshold of human hearing intensity level). The sound intensity I is measured in watts per meter squared. The sound intensity LI level is measured in decibels (dB).
You take a measuring microphone with a sound pressure level meter.
The unit of sound intensity I is watts per meter squared (W/m²). Sound intensity is a sound energy quantity. Sound pressure deviations are moving our eardrums. The unit of sound pressure p is pascals (Pa) or newton per meter squared (N/m²). Sound pressure is a sound field quantity. Another answer: The most common unit of sound intensity is the decibel (dB). Reply: No! We got the sound intensity measured in W/m² and the sound intensity level we measure in decibels (dB). The question was "sound intensity".
Loudness is determined by the amplitude of the sound waves.
Sound intensity is measured in watts per square meters, but our eardrums are only moved by the sound pressure measured in newtons per square meters or pascals.
Sound intensity I is measured in watts per meter squared (W/m²). Look at the link: "Conversion of sound units (levels)".
intensity
Reference sound intensity Io = 10^−12 W/m² (Threshold of human hearing). Reference sound intensity level LIo = 0 dB-SIL (Threshold of human hearing intensity level). The sound intensity I is measured in watts per meter squared. The sound intensity LI level is measured in decibels (dB).
You take a measuring microphone with a sound pressure level meter.
Your ears and the sound pressure level meter "measure" the sound pressure of a sound wave. Sound intensity is measured in watts per square meter.Intensity is measured in watts per square meter.Note: Sound power (sound intensity) is the cause -and the sound pressure is the effect.The effect is of particular interest to the sound engineer.
Reference sound intensity Io = 10^−12 W/m² (Threshold of human hearing). Reference sound intensity level LIo = 0 dB-SIL (Threshold of human hearing intensity level). Sound intensity is measured in watts per meter squared (W/m²) Sound intensity level is measured in decibels (dB). Sound intensity is a sound energy quantity. Our eardrums are moved by sound pressure variations. That is a sound field quantity. Reference sound pressure po = 20 µPa = 2×10^−5 Pa (Threshold of human hearing). Reference sound pressure level Lpo = 0 dB-SPL (Threshold of human hearing sound pressure level). Sound pressure is measured in pascals (Pa) or in newtons per meter squared (N/m²). Sound pressure level is measured in decibels (dB). Sound pressure is a sound field quantity.
Sound intensity is measured in a increment called a decibel, and its characteristics are decribed in terms of its frequency , wavelength, and amplitude.
Sound intensity or acoustic intensity (I) is defined as the sound power (Pac) per unit area (A). The usual context is the noise measurement of sound intensity in the air at a listener's location as a sound energy quantity (measured in W/m²). Our eardrums and microphone diaphragms are moved by sound pressure deviations (p), which is a sound field quantity (measured in pascals Pa). So we measure the sound with a SPL meter (Sound Pressure Level) in decibels.
Sound intensity or acoustic intensity (I) is defined as the sound power (Pac) per unit area (A). The usual context is the noise measurement of sound intensity in the air at a listener's location as a sound energy quantity (measured in W/m²). Our eardrums and microphone diaphragms are moved by sound pressure deviations (p), which is a sound field quantity (measured in pascals Pa). So we measure the sound with a SPL meter (Sound Pressure Level) in decibels.
Sound intensity or acoustic intensity (I) is defined as the sound power (Pac) per unit area (A). The usual context is the noise measurement of sound intensity in the air at a listener's location as a sound energy quantity (measured in W/m²). Our eardrums and microphone diaphragms are moved by sound pressure deviations (p), which is a sound field quantity (measured in pascals Pa). So we measure the sound with a SPL meter (Sound Pressure Level) in decibels.
Sound is measured in dB ( Decibels) for intensity and or Hz ( Hertz) for frequency or pitch.
The sound intensity is defined as the sound power per unit area and is measured in watts per square meter. But our ears are sensitive only to the sound pressure, measured in pascals or newtons per square meters. Scroll down to related links and look at "Table of sound levels".