How is sound measured?

• A. Decibels
• B. Lumens
• C. Hertz
• D. Watts

Answer: (A)

Sound level is measured in decibels because this unit uses a logarithmic scale to express sound pressure level relative to a reference. That aligns with how we perceive loudness, so it provides a practical, comparable measure of how loud equipment and environments sound. Lumens are a unit of light output, not sound. Hertz describes frequency or pitch, not how strong a sound is. Watts indicate power, which can relate to the energy of the sound source but doesn’t quantify how loud it is to the listener. Therefore, decibels is the appropriate way to measure sound.