The sound level of a person talking at 1.0 m of distance is 60 dB. You are surrounded by five people all talking at the same time. What sound level are you being exposed to?
A)600 dB
B)60 dB
C)74 dB
D)67 dB
E)81 dB

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When multiple sound sources are present, their intensities add up, not their decibel levels. The formula for combining sound levels is: L_total = 10 * log10(10^(L1/10) + 10^(L2/10) + ...). For five people talking at 60 dB each, the combined level is approximately 67 dB.

The Sound Level of a Person Talking at 1