decibels
Sound intensity levels are quoted in decibels dB much more often than sound intensities in watts per meter squared. Decibels are the unit of choice in the scientific literature as well as in the popular media. The reasons for this choice of units are related to how we perceive sounds. How our ears perceive sound can be more accurately described by the logarithm of the intensity rather than directly to the intensity. The sound intensity level in decibels of a sound having an intensity I in watts per meter squared is defined to be.