CSD 303: Fundamentals of Hearing

The Octave & the Decibel:

Part One

Brad Rakerd, Professor

Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders
Michigan State University
Phone: 517-432-8195
Email: rakerd@msu.edu
 Pitch and Frequency
 Pitch is a psychological quality relating to the
perception of a sound’s location on a musical scale.
• Pitch is the perceptual counterpart of frequency.

 Fact #1: As frequency increases and decreases pitch also

increases and decreases.
 Fact #2: People sensing pitch generally respond to changes in
frequency in ways best described in terms of frequency
multiples and frequency divisions.

 Example: The musical octave.

 The Musical Octave
 Most people hear all octave changes in pitch to be about equal in
psychological size.
• To increase frequency by an octave you must multiply by a
factor of two.
• To decrease frequency by an octave you must divide by a
factor of two.

 The following frequency steps all differ by exactly one octave.

o 100 Hz  200 Hz
o 500 Hz  1000 Hz
o A220  A440  A880
 Graphing Frequency
 The frequency of a tone can be graphed in two different
ways.
• On a linear axis.
• On a logarithmic axis.

 The octave relationship between frequency and pitch can be

seen much more clearly if frequency is graphed
logarithmically (see below).
Octaves Graphed on a Linear Frequency Axis

X X X X X

100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600

Frequency (Hz)
Octaves Graphed on a Logarithmic Frequency Axis

X X X X X X X

100 200 400 800 1600 3200 6400 …

Frequency (Hz)
 Hearing and the Octave
 Hearing scientists often graph frequencies logarithmically to
more clearly show their relationship to pitch.

 Audiologists commonly conduct pure-tone hearing tests

at octave frequencies, and graph their results on a logarithmic
frequency axis.
 Loudness and Amplitude
 Loudness is a psychological quality relating to the
perception of the overall “strength” of a sound.
• Loudness is the perceptual counterpart of amplitude.
 Fact #1: As the amplitude of a sound increases and decreases
loudness also increases and decreases.
 Fact #2: People sensing loudness generally respond to
changes in amplitude in ways best described in terms of
amplitude multiples and amplitude divisions.
 Thus the relationship between loudness and amplitude is
logarithmic.

• NOTE: Decibel calculations take this

logarithmic relationship into account.
Amplitude, Pressure, and Intensity (Power)

 A sound source vibrates with a certain amplitude.

 Its vibrations cause pressure changes in the surrounding
medium.
 Those pressure changes have the power to move objects (like
your eardrum).
 INTENSITY is the term used in acoustics to refer to the power
of a sound.
 The Bel and Decibel scales were originally developed to
measure sound intensity.
 Why Calculate the Decibel?
 Reason #1: Because the intensity of the loudest sound that
people can hear is enormously greater than the intensity of the
softest sound that they can hear.
• Hence, the range of intensities that we have to deal with is
huge.
• NOTE: This is a point of emphasis for the text.

 Reason #2: Because people sensing loudness respond to

changes in amplitude (and intensity) that are best described in
terms of multiples or divisions.
• NOTE: This is a point of emphasis for me.
 The Bel Scale
 The Bel Scale was invented by the phone company to compare
the intensities of two signals at different points along a telephone
line.
 Steps in the calculation:
• Step #1: Put the intensities of the two signals into a ratio
(see below).
• Step #2: Take the base-10 logarithm of that ratio (see
below).
 Example: Signal B is 1000 times more powerful than signal A.
How do they compare on the Bel Scale?
• Answer: Log10(1000/1) = +3
• Signal B is +3 Bels more intense than Signal A.
Calculating the Bel, Step #1: Intensity Ratio

 Fact: A new signal comes along and I measure its intensity.

 Question: What to do next if I plan to calculate the Bel?

 Step #1: Determine the ratio of that new intensity compared to

a reference amount of intensity.
 Some examples of possible ratios:
• 100/1  The new intensity is 100 times greater than the ref.
• 1/1  The new intensity is exactly equal to the ref.
• 1/10  The new intensity is one tenth of the ref.
Calculating the Bel, Step #2: Take the Base-10 Log

 Step #2: Take the base-10 logarithm of the ratio that you
computed in step #1.

 Question: What is the base-10 log of some ratio?

 Related Question: Ten raised to what power equals that ratio?
 Answer to the First Question: The power that ten is raised to is
the logarithm of the ratio.

 Example: What is the base-10 log of a ratio of 100/1?

• 102 = 100/1
• The base-10 log of 100/1 is 2.
• Log(100/1) = 2.
 More Examples
 Example: What is the base-10 log of a ratio of 1/1?
• 100 = 1/1
• The base-10 log of 1/1 is 0.
• Log(1/1) = 0.

 Example: What is the base-10 log of a ratio of 1/10?

• 10-1 = 1/10
• The base-10 log of 1/10 is -1.
• Log(1/10) = -1.
 Bels and Decibels
 NOTE: Changing the power of a sound by 1 whole Bel changes its
loudness quite a lot.
 To measure hearing carefully we need a smaller unit of measure,
one that is only a fraction of a Bel.

 One decibel (dB) = 1/10th of a Bel.

• Or, 10 decibels = 1 Bel.
 Going back to the Bel scale example:
• Signal B had an intensity that was 1000 times greater than the
intensity of Signal A.
• Signal B was +3 Bels compared to Signal A.
• Equivalently, Signal B is +30 decibels (dB) compared to
Signal A.
The Decibel Scale for Sound Intensity (dB IL)
Intensity Power # of
Ratio of 10 Bels dB Note

100 Trillion/1 1014 14 140 Harmful

10 Trillion/1 1013 13 130
1 Trillion/1 1012 12 120 Painful

100,000/1 105 5 50
10,000/1 104 4 40
1,000/1 103 3 30
100/1 102 2 20
10/1 101 1 10 Intensity greater than the reference

1/1 100 0 0 = Standard Ref Intensity (a very faint sound)

1/10 10-1 -1 -10 Intensity less than the reference

1/100 10-2 -2 -20
The Auditory Response Area