Question

Why do we measure loudness in terms of intensity level instead of the absolute value of intensity?

Answer 1

In acoustics, loudness is a sensation and it describes how a sound is perceived by the ear or how the sound vibration or pressure is felt in a particular surrounding environment.

We sometimes say, 'pin drop silence', which means the place is so quiet that even a sound made by a drop of a small pin is also heard.

Sometimes, in a high traffic area, we may not hear what the person next to us speaks.

A sound of same intensity or frequency is sometimes heard low and sometimes heard loud. So, it is expressed as a ratio; It is measured in a scale of intensity levels i.e. decibels