Question

The dB app you downloaded onto your phone has different weighting networks. You want to select the one that most closely matches the frequency response of the human ear, which network should you choose?

A) A-weighting
B) B-weighting
C) C-weighting
D) D-weighting

Answer 1

To match the frequency response of the human ear when measuring sound levels, select the A-weighting network on your dB app, as it corresponds to how our ears perceive loudness using the intensity logarithm (A).

Step-by-step explanation:

The network you should choose to match the frequency response of the human ear is A-weighting. This is because A-weighting is designed to reflect the varying sensitivity of the human ear to different frequencies, which generally peaks around the 3-4 kHz range, where the human ear is most sensitive, and rolls off at lower and higher frequencies.

The dB scale, more specifically with A-weighting, is used to describe the loudness of sound because logarithm of the intensity of a sound is a closer representation of how our ears perceive loudness, according to the capabilities of the hair cells located at the basilar membrane, which respond best to specific frequencies.