Themes > Science > Physics > Acoustics > Sound Effects > Sound Effect on Person's Hearing


How Does the Decibel Level of a Sound Effect A Person's Hearing

  Decibels Effect
No hearing damage 0dB Threshold of hearing
  10dB Sounds hardly audible
  20dB Eardrums pick up sound wave vibrations
  30dB  
  40dB  
  50dB  
  60dB Sounds eardrum is accustomed to
  70dB  
Government limit (8hrs.) 80dB After about eight hours, hearing damage occurs
  90dB  
  100dB Can damage hearing after 2 hours of exposure per day
  110dB  
  120dB can damage eardrum after 15 minutes of exposure per day
  130dB Several hours can cause inner ear to fail to convert sound into electrical signals to be sent to brain
  140dB Brief exposure may cause inner ear to fail to convert sound into electrical signals that get sent to brain
  150dB Pain and damage to the eustachian tubes (tubes that connect middle ear to mouth)
  160dB Immediate hearing loss, eardrums rupture causing irreversible hearing loss
    Note: Information only filled in where applicable


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